Secrets Can Kill
by Dutchess Frost
Summary: Nicole has suffered yet survived. She's been beaten but never held down. But in Fairy Tail, she finds her frozen heart melting, and doors opening that she can't keep shut. How is one supposed to survive when her secrets can kill her, and the rest of Fairy Tail? Gray x OC.
1. The First Day

**Hello, to all you people that know me and people that don't. If you do know me, it's most likely because of my Warriors High! story. Well, I'm back again with yet another story. But this story is not Warriors, or Hunger Games…**

**This story is of the incredible anime called Fairy Tail.**

**I fell in love with Fairy Tail not too long ago. Fairy Tail is amazing! I realize things are different from the manga and the anime, but I watch the anime. So bear with me. I'll try to update as often as I can.**

**Okay, just to get something straight before I start, I am a full supporter of Gruvia (Gray X Juvia). But I happened to fall in love with Gray. Yes, I'm a fan girl (squeal). So, for this fan fiction, Gray X OC will happen. The OC will be my own character, partially based off me, and partially based off my Gray obsessed best friend. So, that is what is happening.**

**The story takes place right after the Edolas arc. There is no S- Class promotion trial. So, everyone's still in the same age and stuff. Thank you. I repeat, no S- Class promotion trial. **

**Summary**

What if there was no S-Class promotion trial? No confliction with Zeref, or Grimiore Heart? When one mysterious figure shows up in Fairy Tail, carrying a deep secret, Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and Erza and desperate to figure what is troubling this new arrival. Follow along through battle, death, sacrifice, and love?! Set after the Edolas arc.

**Nicole's POV**

Hitching my backpack back over my shoulder, I stumble forward a few more steps. Finally. I'm in the city of Magnolia. It's like a dream come true. Now, to find Fairy Tail.

I wander up and down some streets. I see some magic shops, food stores, apartments, and a small river leading through town. I cross a small wooden bridge to cross the river. Some men sit in a boat, floating along the river. I have just crossed the bridge when I hear one of the men call out.

"Hey, blondie! Careful you don't fall!"

I'm confused. I'm not blonde. Why would I fall off a bridge? Then I see a young girl, probably my edge, walking along the edge of the street above the river. _Oh. That's who they were talking to. _

The girl ignores them and continues walking. _She's walking towards me. _A small, snowman-like creature is following her. It's a cute little guy, pure white with a small nose.

Then I notice the pink Fairy Tail mark on her hand.

I jerk back to reality. I walk quickly down the street and towards the girl. "Excuse me?"

The girl looks up. Her snowman-creature thing stops by her feet and stares up at me expectantly.

I blush. _I've not good at talking to people. _"Hi, I couldn't noticing you were part of Fairy Tail?…"

The girl nods vigorously. "Yep! My name's Lucy! And this is Plue!" She gestures to the snowman.

She seems very friendly. "I'm Nicole. I wanted to join Fairy Tail, but I don't know where it is. Could you show me how to get there?"

"Yeah! Sure! I'm heading there now! Come on!" She walks on, and I jog to catch up with her.

"So," she starts, her eyes not leaving her feet, "What kind of wizard are you?"

God. I should have known this was coming. I hate this question. "I'm… and Ice wizard."

Her eyes light up. "Cool! One of my friends, Gray, is an Ice- Make wizard. I'm a Celestial wizard!"

"Cool! What spirits do you have?"

Lucy holds up a key ring. "I've got 8 gold keys, and 4 silver keys. This," She holds up a gold key, "Is Aquarius. She's someone who you don't want to mess with. And this is Taurus! He's a perverted bull. This is Cancer, and he's a crab. And this is Sagittarius! He's a horse! This none is Virgo. She's like a pink-haired maid. And this is Aries, she's like a ram, but's she's super sweet! This is Loke- er, Leo, he used to be part of Fairy Tail, well, he technically still is, but he was a Celestial spirit, so he's one of my friends now. This is Scorpio, he's a scorpion, and he's dating Aquarius. And this is Gemini! They are cute, and sweet!

"And these," she continues, "Are my silver keys! This is Plue, obviously, and this is Crux. He's a smart guy. And this is Horologium, he's a clock guy who is actually really helpful. And this last one is Lyra. She has a beautiful singing voice!"

"That's a lot!" I breath.

"I'm sorry," she says. "Am I rambling? Sorry, I-"

I laugh. "It's fine!"

She grins. "I can tell we're going to get along just fine!"

We talk, laugh, and joke as we walk. Lucy is so nice! If Fairy Tail is full of people like her, it'll be a great place. I avoid questions about myself and my magic. She doesn't need to know…

Soon we're there. I gape at the huge building. It's amazing! Lucy beams.

"Yeah, it's nice, isn't it? They rebuilt it after… After…" Her voice lowers. "After Phantom Lord trashed the guild hall."

I can tell the subject troubles her. "Is everything okay?"

She nods. "Yeah. Just… Lost in thought."

We silently enter the building. It's so loud! People are chatting loudly and some are even arguing. It's… huge. And amazing. And crazy. Chaotic is a better word.

Lucy waves to everyone. "Hey, guys! I got a new recruit!" Most of the crowd turns to me. I blush.

"I'm Nicole Emereon," I announce. "I want to join Fairy Tail."

"Great! Someone new!" I see a pink-haired boy stand up from his table. "Someone new to fight!"

I blink. Another guy stands up. "Come on, flame brain, is all you can think about fighting?"

This guy is different. He has spiky black- or is it navy blue?- hair, and is… wearing no shirt. He has pants, thank God, but his body is toned and muscular. I find myself blushing again. _What? Why?_

"Gray-sama! Your clothes!" A blue-haired girl, who is sitting at the same table as the boys, calls. She has long, blue, curly hair. She seems nice.

"Gah!" The shirtless boy- Gray?- Pulls on a purple t-shirt, but leaves it unbuttoned.

The pink-haired boy rolls his eyes. "Yeah, stripper. Don't scare the newcomers."

"Says you, Natsu," Gray growls, lunging at Natsu. "You want a fight, you've got one!"

Natsu cheers. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"

"Um," I stutter, "Guys, there's no need-"

"Watch out!"

Natsu has been thrown over Gray's shoulder and is currently flying at me, screaming. Lucy dives to the side. To my one side is a wall. To my other side is Lucy. So I jump.

I jump up, and Natsu flies out the open guild doors. I land on my feet again, bewildered.

I look behind me. "Are you okay, Natsu?"

He grins. "Of course I am! Are you a ninja or something?"

I laugh and blush at the same time. "No, not exactly."

He slams his fist into his other hand. "I'm going to enjoy fighting you!"

"Uh, I don't know," I protest. "My magic's not very good-"

"Then I'll just fist-fight you!" He laughs and charges at me.

Man, this guy can be annoying. "I said not right now!" I leap backwards and he hurtles towards Gray, far past me.

Gray puts his hands together and yells, "Ice-Make Wall!" And Natsu rams face-first into an ice wall. I giggle. Lucy laughs beside me.

"I didn't know you could move like that!" She calls.

"I studied karate for a while," I tell her. "And I've had a lot of experience with stuff like this."

The room has erupted into chaos. People are fighting one another, with and without magic.

"Is this normal?" I yell over the noise to Lucy.

"Yeah," she yells back. "Happens all the time!"

"ENOUGH!"

The room falls into silence. A red-head with an armoured top and blue skirt stands in the middle of the room, holding a sword. Her hair sweeps down her back. She's wearing boots and seems very intimidating.

"Hi, Erza," Lucy squeaks. _Are they all this scared of her? _"This is our new arrival!"

I smile at Erza, who gives me a long, hard glare. "I'm Nicole. Nice to meet you!"

I hear whispers around the guild hall. "She's not intimidated by Erza?"

"She's tougher than she looks."

"I thought she'd be running in fear!"

"What's Erza going to do?"

Should I have been scared? I have no reason to. I've never met her before. But from the way people are talking about her, she's a scary person.

To my surprise, she smiles. "Welcome to Fairy Tail. I'm Erza. Erza Scarlet. What magic do you study?"

"Actually," I reply, "I'm trying to learn Ice magic. I know a bit, but I'm not the best. I'm actually a lot better at hand to hand combat. I thought joining a guild would help me learn better."

Erza nods, and I know I've said the right thing. "Right you are. You will learn a lot from Fairy Tail, like how to open up, be loud and noisy, and chaotic." She glares at Natsu and Gray. "And you may also learn how to improve your magic."

"Great!" Well, maybe not great about the 'opening up' thing. I am not good at sharing my past.

"If you're going to learn," Erza continues, "You could learn from Gray. He's an Ice wizard. And you might need some experience with battling a wizard."

"Alright!" Natsu stands up. "I'll battle with her!"

"Natsu, you-" Erza starts towards Natsu, making him coward back in fear.

"No, it's fine!" I interrupt. "I can try to fight Natsu. No guarantees though." I offer a sheepish grin. Natsu smiles evilly.

"Great! This is going to be awesome!" He trots up to me and grabs my wrist. "I can tell we're going to get along so well!"

"Um, I-" But Natsu is already dragging me outside. I look behind me helplessly and I see most of the guild following us. _Great! The last thing I need is an audience to see me fail!_

But I'm dragged onto the field anyway.

~2 minutes and 12 seconds later~

The training field is huge! Green grass stretches so far along. Natsu is standing at the other end of the field, about 20 feet away. The crowd has gather at the side.

Lucy pops her head out of the crowd. "Wait, are they actually going though with this?"

Erza sighs. "If they are both fine with it, then I don't see why not."

"But Nicole just got here!" Lucy cries. "I don't want her killed on her first day here!" I twitch. Glad to see she has faith in me.

Erza gives Lucy a small smile. "Don't worry about it, Lucy. I'm sure Nicole will be fine."

"I'm rooting for you, Natsu!" I look over and see a small blue cat. It can talk! I must be able to fly to. Don't ask how I know this.

Natsu grins. "Thanks, Happy!"

Happy? Okay…

"Is Wendy here?" Erza calls. A petite blue haired girl pops her head out of the crowd.

"I'm here!"

"Great. We'll need you, just in case." Wendy nods, and turns her eyes back to us.

I try to think of a way to make me less nervous and more determined. _Think of this like a test. _A test for what? _If you do well, you can join Fairy Tail. If you don't…_

My blood runs cold. _I will win this. At least, I'll try. I don't know what type of magic Natsu uses, but I know he's reckless. _

"Okay!" Natsu cheers. "Let's get this started!" He lets out a yell a charges at me, right fist pulled back to punch. _He's not using magic yet. He's… toying with me._

The audience has come to the same realization. "He's not using magic!"

"He's just going easy on her!"

Anger flares inside of me. As Natsu reaches me and starts to punch, I duck to the right and sink my fist right into his stomach.

Natsu sucks in a mouthful of air and stumbles forward as I dance back. The audience is shocked. I can hear no one cheering, talking, or anything anymore. Then I hear Lucy.

"Great job, Nicole!"

I wave at her, smiling. I hear Natsu get up and I stare at him.

"Wow!" He cries. "That's one heck of a punch! Maybe I don't have to go easy on you now!" He fist explodes into flames. My eyes widen. I take a step back.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" He yells before leaping at me.

Wait. _Fire Dragon? _

At the last minute I snap out of my shock and leap to the side. I narrowly avoided the punch, but he swung his leg around and kicked me back. I skidded backward and came to a halt.

I smirk. "Not bad for a guy with pink hair."

"Pink hair?!" Natsu roars. The crowd laughs. "I'll show you!"

He inhales sharply. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

A huge gust of flame erupts and hurtles towards me. I duck to the ground, but not fast enough. The flames swallow my arm. I scream loudly.

"Nicole!" Lucy cries. She tries to get past Erza, but the red head holds her back.

"Wait," she says. Natsu is grinning triumphantly at the other end of the field. I hear the crowd's murmurs.

"Yeah, that didn't take long."

"What did you expect?"

I exhale. I place my other hand on my burning wrist and concentrate. A cooling sensation spreads over my arm. Looking down, my entire wrist has turned to ice.

I sit up happily. "Well, that's much better!" I face Natsu, who looks as equally shocked as the crowd. I find Gray's face in the crowd and see he is smirking.

After another moments concentration, I whisper two words I swore nobody would ever hear out loud. Then I scream, "KNIFE!"

A knife made of pure ice appears in my hand. I turn the knife in my hand. "Well, then." I spin and hurl the knife at Natsu.

Natsu ducks, just in time. I grin. "Is that better!"

Natsu smiles back. "Yeah! This is awesome!"

I smile. If I want to get better, I need to practice. I close my eyes and picture a spike of ice.

I whisper the same two words, then I yell, "SPIKE!" and puns my frozen wrist on the ground. An enormous spike pulls itself out of the ground under Natsu's feet. I smile happily. _I did it! I actually did it!_

Then I realize how tired I am. I drained too much of my magic power. And my wrist still tingles. I sink down to my knees. Natsu is jumping up and down, screaming "Cold! Cold!"

Wendy runs over to me. "Are you hurt? Can I help you?"

"Thank you," I gasp. Wendy holds two hands out in front of her and I sigh in relief. It's like the pain is leaking out of me. I open my eyes again and see 4 people standing over top of me.

Gray, Lucy, Natsu, and Erza. I smile up at them "How'd I do?"

Erza nods. "Lots of potential."

Lucy agrees with her. "You did great!"

Natsu speaks up next. "That was awesome! I can't wait to fight you again!"

Last is Gray. "That was cool. It's nice to finally meet another Ice wizard." I smile wider.

"Thanks, guys." I sit up, feeling as good as new. Lucy offers me a hand.

"Let's go register you in Fairy Tail!"

**How was that for a first chapter? Please review, favourite, and follow. Thanks! It means a lot to me!**


	2. Trip To Mount Hakobe

**Welcome to the second chapter for ****Secrets Can Kill!**

**Thanks for the follows. I accept requests for people and tips, but please no flames. Criticism is always allowed. Is there a certain point of view you want to see? Something you want to happen? Let me know!**

**I hope you enjoyed that first chapter. Hopefully, this second chapter will be just as good.**

**REVIEWS~**

**RandomCookieCat: YES I am a full supporter of Nalu! They are so sweet! Yet Natsu can be so dense…**

**Chapter 2: Trip to Mount Hakobe **

**Gray's POV**

I don't know what my first impression of her was. She had light brown hair, slung back in a high pony tail. She had a green hoodie on, but took it off for her fight with Natsu to reveal a black tank top with green tips. Black capris. Sneakers.

Her eyes- I mean, god, her eyes! They seemed almost brown, hazel, or grey from a distance. But up close, it looked like every colour had refused to mix. Brown around the pupil and greenish blue around the edge. Weird, but very cool.

She's an ice wizard! It's nice to finally have another ice wizard around. After Lyon, I honestly was hoping I'd find someone else. But she's not exactly an Ice-Make wizard. What exactly is she?

After the battle we all headed back to the guild hall. Lucy was chattering on about how awesome Fairy Tail was, Natsu was grumbling about his defeat, and Happy was trying to cheer him up.

Nicole is different. I can tell. I notice everything about her, the way she flinches when someone says her name, or blushes at a compliment. _Great. Now I sound like some sort of crazy stalker. _

Mirajane greets us when we all return. "Hello! I heard there was a new arrival. Did they leave already?"

Nicole laughs. "Nope, I'm still here. I'm Nicole."

Mirajane smiles at her. "Great! I can get your guild mark on if you'd like. If you have any questions, you can ask me or anyone else here." She gestures to the mass of people. "We're all really friendly, for the most part."

"Great!" The Ice mage exclaims. "I don't know where I'll put my guild mark yet, though…"

Cana stumbles over, obviously drunk. "Well, you could put it anywhere, and I mean ANYWHERE-"

"Thanks, Cana," Lucy interrupts. "But I think she knows that."

"Just checking," Cana slurs, and she stumbles away to her barrel. Nicole looks very alarmed, making me smirk.

I tap her on the shoulder. "That's Cana. She's normally like that." She nods, absorbing my words. I hold her gaze. I don't want to stop staring…

"Gray-sama!"

I groan inwardly. Not Juvia…

"Gray-sama, what are you doing? Juvia wants to take a job, but Juvia wants to do it with you!" Juvia is skipping over to me, singing her words.

Don't get me wrong, I like Juvia- but as a friend or a team mate. She's nice, sweet, caring… But a bit too obsessive. She can't handle me being anywhere near another female.

"Not now, Juvia," I protest, "I'm helping out the new arrival."

Juvia's eyes flare. "Who is this new rival?"

"She's not your rival, Juvia," I sigh. I turn to Nicole, who is watching out spat with raised eye brows. "Nicole, this is Juvia, she's a water mage-"

"Are you Juvia's love rival?" Juvia stalks up to Nicole. Now Nicole looks downright confused.

"Am I… What?"

"Juvia does not want anyone else competing for Gray-sama's heart!" Juvia threatens. I grimace. This is not going to end well.

"Oh, I get it," Nicole murmurs softly. She raises her voice a bit. "Don't worry, Juvia, he'll never take an interest in me. You've got nothing to worry about."

Juvia relaxes. "Thank you. Juvia's name is Juvia Lockser, and Juvia is a water mage. Juvia's entire body is made of water."

Nicole nods. "That's really cool!"

Juvia beams. "Juvia thanks you!"

"No problem, Juvia," Nicole says warmly. Natsu trots over.

"Well, ice brain, now there's another ice guy! Or girl. Whatever. She's better than you are!"

Nicole hears this and blushes. I sigh in frustration. "Natsu-"

"It's fine," she interrupts quickly. "I don't have much experience. Gray probably is better than me."

"Thanks," I state, "But you whooped Natsu's butt pretty badly out there."

"He was going easy on me," she says. I roll my eyes. _Is she looking for a way to make herself look bad?_

**Nicole's POV**

This is a bit overwhelming. People are getting the wrong impression, that's I'm really good. Did they see me out there? That last move nearly took away all my magic energy! Now Natsu thinks I'm better than Gray. Not a chance! And Juvia? At least she didn't understand the full meaning behind my words…

Mirajane comes back, carrying a stamp.

"Have you decided where you want your guild mark?" she asks. Mirajane is so nice! She already asked me to call her Mira. And she was a model for Sorcerer Weekly.

I shake my head. "Not yet."

"Don't worry! Master Makarov is coming soon. He'll help you!" Mira smiles and heads off to give someone a drink.

"Hello! Is this the new one?" A small man with white hair walks out of a back room and into the hall. "I'm Makarov, the 3rd guild master of Fairy Tail!"

"Nice to meet you," I say politely. "I'm-"

He chuckles. "I know who you are. Great fight against Natsu! You'll be a valuable asset to Fairy Tail."

My cheeks heat up. "Thank you, Master!"

Makarov waves his hand. "Call me Gramps. All these brats already do anyway." I laugh.

"Ma- I mean, Gramps, may I speak to you in private for a moment?"

Makarov raises his eye brows. "Yes, but why?"

"I'll tell you in a moment," I say. I turn to Lucy. "I'll be back."

Concern flashes through her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nod. "Save me a seat!" I wave to her, Natsu, and Gray as I head into Makarov's office.

Once there, and the door is shut, I take a seat and face the guild's master. Makarov stares at me expectantly. "Well?"

I sigh. This isn't going to be easy. "I have a horrible past, that I normally don't wish to talk about."

Makarov stays silent as I continue. "But this is a case where someone has to know. You see, I'm a…"

Makarov's eyes widen as my story continues, but he still sits at his seat, waiting patiently. About 5 minutes later, my story is finished. Yes, it took that long. Makarov looks very shocked.

"Well, I certainly did not expect this." He sighs. "Yes, a trip to Mount Hakobe would do you good."

I pale. "I'm sorry? I don't understand?"

"If you're going to be stronger, you'll have to train. Spend 5 days at Mount Hakobe. Train hard. Hopefully, this will help. But, someday, sometime, you'll have to tell the guild."

"I know," I say warily, "But I'd be an embarrassment. I mean, look at Natsu! He's amazing! And I'm…"

Makarov waves his hand. "Stop comparing yourself to people. The only way to get over your feelings is to train. I believe you are strong enough already, but you need to have some self confidence. Training will do you a lot of good. You should go with Gray."

"Gray?" I squeak, my cheeks heating up. "Juvia will kill me!"

Makarov laughs. "Being who you are, you'll have to get used to death threats!"

I think for a moment. Yes, Gray would be a good choice. Natsu would be good too, but that would be way too revealing. Gray is the obvious choice.

"Alright," I say. Makarov nods in approval.

"Good. You leave in 2 days time. I'm going to get Gray in here so we can talk."

"Okay." And so Makarov leaves me to my thoughts as he makes his way out of the tiny room and towards the main hall.

_He's right, though. They're all going to find out sooner or later._

**Natsu's POV**

"Eat this, frost bite!" I hurled a fireball at the Frost Bite's head. He ducked, unfortunately, and the table behind him caught on fire.

"Awe, I missed," I complained. He glared at me.

"Haven't you had enough fighting for one day?"

I shrug. "You can never have too much fighting!"

"Actually," Lucy grumbles, "You can." I ignore her and sit down next to her.

Ice Princess stumbles over and sits down on Lucy's other side. Juvia's eyes are flaring and she's shooting daggers at Lucy for sitting beside Gray. I'll never understand girls.

"I mean," Gray grumbles, "You just got your butt kicked by Nicole. Isn't that enough?"

"I did not!" I shout. "I was going easy on her!"

"Sure you were!" I turn around to see Macao and Wakaba, laughing at me.

"Shut your trap!" I throw another fireball, and it singes Wakaba's hair. "I missed again! Geez, what is wrong with me?"

"A lot of stuff," Ice Prick mumbles. I glare at him for a bit before I sit down again.

"So," Lucy says, between mouthfuls of chocolate, "What do you think of Nicole?"

"I'm going to call her Nikki," I declare.

"Do you think of nicknames for everyone?" Ice Princess groans.

"Yep," I say cheerfully, "I call Lucy Luce, and I call you Ice Princess!"

The Ice guy rolls his eyes. "She's nice. If she can put up with Natsu, she's fine with me. She's not bad at Ice magic either."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I yell.

"Figure it out yourself!" He shouts back.

"Both of you, shut up!" Erza!

"Yes, ma'am!" I squeak. Erza glares at me so much it feels like I'm going to melt.

"Why are you two fighting?"

"We're not!" We say in unison. "We're best of friends!" I sling an arm around his shoulder and muster a fake grin. I hear Lucy snicker behind me.

Erza smiles. "Good. It's nice to see you two getting along." She turns on her heel and heads up the stairs to the S- Class floor.

Makarov emerges from his room. "Hey, Gramps!" I call. Gramps offers a small smile before turning to Gray.

"Gray, I need to speak with you."

Gray shrugs, but he can't hide his surprise. "Okay." Ice Boy stands up and follows Gramps into the back room where Nicole and Gramps went a few minutes ago.

"Nikki's hiding something," I say quietly. Lucy looks up at me.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. But she has a strong scent. She's definitely… different."

**Gray's POV**

Why would Gramps want me, of all people? I follow Gramps into his room. Nicole is sitting down on one of the chairs, staring at her feet. Her pony tail has flopped over one shoulder. _What's up with her?_

I sit down in the chair next to Nicole's. Gramps turns to face me, his face serious.

"Gray, you are not to talk any jobs for the next week."

"What?" I spring out of my chair. "Master, what-"

"And," he interrupts, "You are going to talk a 5 day trip to Mount Hakobe with Miss Emereon here. You leave in two days."

"Oh," I say in surprise. So this is what it was all about. I nod. "Okay. Sure."

Gramps beams. "Great! Take good care of Miss Emereon."

Nicole rolls her eyes. "First off, call me Nicole. Secondly, I can take care of myself." Normally, I'd expect a tone like that to be defensive and offended. but she says it humorously, like a joke.

"Alrighty then," Gramps says, hopping off his chair. "Off you go, youngsters!"

And with that, we leave his office.

When we come out of his office we are stalled by Mirajane. "Nicole! Have you decided where to put your guild mark?"

Nicole nods. Mira smiles. "Follow me then!"

Mira grabs Nicole by the wrist and tugs her along. I decide to follow. Why not?

Mira goes behind our counter and pulls out a stamp pad. "Where do you want your mark?"

Nicole points to her neck, the right side of it. She moves her finger down a bit, though, so it could be hidden with a turtle neck sweater or something. "Right here."

"What colour?"

"Let me guess," I say, "Green."

She laughs. "How'd you know?"

Mira takes a green pad and prints the Fairytail mark where Nicole wants it. "Thanks!"

Mira smiles sweetly. "No problem!"

I take her wrist. "Come on. Let's go sit down. I can tell you what to bring."

She nods and follows me to the place where Natsu, Lucy, and Juvia are sitting. Swallowing my nerves, I sit next to Juvia.

"What was that about?" Juvia asks curiously.

I feel Nicole tense beside me. Oh… Juvia will go berserk. I save Nicole the trouble of explaining it and tell Juvia myself. "Juvia, Nicole and I are heading up to Mount Hakobe for 5 days. I'm going to train her there. Gramps asked me to."

I hope I've said the right thing, but Juvia is already standing up from the table. "Juvia thought Nicole said she would not be love rival!"

"Juvia-" Nicole starts, but I cut her off.

"Juvia, it's just training. Okay?"

Juvia glares at Nicole. "Juvia will not have Nicole take Juvia's Gray-sama away from her!"

A nerve inside of me snaps. "Nicole just got here! You can leave her alone, okay, Juvia? And I can choose who I want to be with, not the other way around. I'll take care of myself, okay? I'm not being taken away from anyone at the moment!"

Juvia's eyes widen. At first I think I've mad her cry. But instead, she sighs happily.

"Gray-sama is so handsome when he yells at Juvia…"

I stand up from the table and turn to sit on the other side of Nicole. _Oops. I just left Nicole to fend for herself with Juvia._

"Wait," Lucy says. "You're going to take Nicole to Mount Hakobe to train. Right?"

I nod. Her face lights up.

"Now I have an excuse to take Nicole shopping for a bathing suit!"

What? "Wait… What are you talking about?" Nicole asks in confusion. Lucy grins.

"You've seen how Gray has a stripping habit, right? Well, knowing him, he'll want to bring back Ur's old training methods. That involves stripping down to stand the cold." Nicole's jaw drops. Her face pales.

"Lucy!" I plead. "Don't scare her!"

"It's just the truth!" She takes Nicole's hand and pulls her up from the table. "Let's go now!"

As Nicole scoops up her back pack on the way out of the door, I hear Lucy rambling on the Nicole. "Always wear that bathing suit. Everyday. Under your clothes. Knowing him,…"

This is going to be weirder than I thought…


	3. Preparations

**Anddddd this is my third chapter for Secrets Can Kill!**

**I'm sorry for not updating. I should have warned you I onlyupdate on weekends, and I get a day off today, so… :D**

**Thanks for the… Umm… 2 reviews. Thanks to RandomCookieCat! You have reviewed and been an awesome friend! Thank you so much for that!**

**Also thanks to IcePrinceRay, RandomCookieCat, and shadowX25 for following my story!**

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**Anyhow, here is the third chapter. Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: Preparations**

**Nicole's POV**

While we were walking to the nearest clothing stores, Lucy explained to me all the trouble. Like how Gray's master, Ur, saved his life, so he's a bit sensitive about that, and their training method was a bit… well, creepy. I don't know if I'm up to this.

Secondly, how do girls where these things? Tiny bits of triangle do not cover the body very well. Geez, I am SO not going to wear any bikinis. They're so skimpy! In the end, I didn't get one.

But Lucy bought me a new jacket. I insisted I buy my own things, but she said it was her treat. According to Lucy, she has the feeling we'll be working together a lot.

I got the new jacket (it's green! Surprise!) and a black top that still shows my Fairy Tail mark, but is just as flexible as soon of my other tops. I also got black boots, black leggings, a silver belt, and an ice-blue fluffy sweater (ice blue is my second favourite colour) and a set of jeans. She knows me too well already.

Then we went to bathing suits. I hesitated and did not, I repeat, did not, get one. As much as Lucy insisted, there is no way I'm stripping down on a mountain. There really wasn't much else to say about our shopping trip.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not like most girls- I hate, hate, hate, hate, and utterly despise, shopping.

We finally finished. As we left the final store, shopping bags in hand, Lucy beamed at me. "Well, we're finally done. Where's your place?" Plue is clinging to her leg, staring up at me, that cute expression in his eyes.

I paused. "Oh. Umm… I don't…. I don't really have a place."

"What?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh. Will you stay at the guild?"

"Well, I don't know. It's a bit expensive, and I don't have much money at the moment. Plus, I barely know anyone."

"You should stay with me!"

"Say what now?"

"Yeah, it'll be great to have a friend around all the time. And, my rent will only be half as much!" She laughed.

_Friend? I, like… just met her, and she already considers me a friend. Wow._

I blinked in surprise. "Really? That would be great!" _Lucy is really a kind and great person._

"No problem!" We ran home, well, to her home, bags in hand with Plue trotting behind us. _Joining Fairy Tail is a much better decision than I thought it'd be._

But then I remembered the consequences and my stomach clenched. Shaking myself, I hurried after the blonde.

We finally arrived back at Lucy's. Lucy pulled the bags up to her room, me slowly walking behind her.

"We're here!" Lucy announced. She pulled open her door, and hesitantly, I stepped inside.

Her room is nice. There's a bed in one corner, a desk with papers and pencils on it, a bathroom, table, couch, everything! "This is really nice," I breathed. Lucy grinned.

"Hey, Nikki!"

"AAAH!" I whipped around to the voice and instinctively my hand connected with someone's face. Realizing who it was, I paused and stepped back. "Oh my god! Sorry, Natsu!"

Natsu rubbed his cheek. "You've got one heck of a hit there, Nikki!"

"Aye, sir!" The blue flying cat- Happy?- cheered excitedly.

Lucy sighed. "He deserved that, don't worry. He always shows up like this. Believe me, he's caused so much trouble." She smiled softly. "Make yourself at home-"

"Man, Lucy, you got some pretty funky clothing here," Happy murmured, holding up some of Lucy's undergarments.

I snickered as Lucy lunged. "YOU STUPID CAT! GIVE ME THAT BACK!" Lucy snatched her clothing back from Happy.

"Yo, Luce, you still writing that novel?" Natsu asked, holding up a stack of papers from Lucy's desk.

"NO!" Lucy kicked Natsu out of her chair and grabbed her papers, clutching them tightly to her chest. "I told you not to read that, Natsu!"

"Awe, come on, Luce," Natsu complained.

"No buts!" Lucy shrieked. I laughed _I swear, they're insane._

"Can't a guy get any rest around here?" I turned to see the guy Gray laying on Lucy's bed, without a scrap of clothing on.

Facing me. I'm mortified.

"AAAH!" I screamed again, covering my eyes with my hands. "ARE YOU TRYING TO SCAR ME FOR LIFE?! CLOTHES!"

"Eep! Sorry!" After a bit of a scramble and a bit of chaos, I peeked through my fingers and saw that Gray now had pants on. Thank God. Blushing slightly, I lowered my hands.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lucy asked hauntingly.

"We're here to stay the night!" Natsu exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Aye!" Happy added.

Gray sighed. "Well, we figured Nicole would come back here, so we thought that if you brought her here, Lucy, we should know a bit more about her. So why not? It's boring back at the guild hall when the pyro leaves."

"Hey!" Natsu whined. "I am SO not a pyro, icicle!"

"Hello there." I turned to see Erza walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped tightly around her body. I waved.

"Erza, right?"

She nodded. "Great to see you here, Nicole. Are you and Lucy sharing an apartment?"

I nodded. "Wonderful! Now it really is a party in here." In a flash of brilliant light, she's wearing purple pyjamas with deeper purple pictures of… Anchors?

"There," Erza said. She sat down in Lucy's chair. "Let's talk, shall we?"

Natsu rolled himself out onto the floor. Gray sat up in the bed and Lucy sat down on a small stool. I realized I was still standing so I set down my bags and sat around the centre table like everyone else.

We went back and forth around the table. I shared that my favourite colours were green and ice blue, Natsu's foster dad was Igneel, Lucy ran away from home, Erza's last name is Scarlet because of her hair. When asked where I was from, I chose my words carefully. I said I came from a small town near the mountains, a very long journey from here, and never really fit in at school. I learned a bit here and there about ice magic, and I never had the time to study it fully. I learned how to make weapons out of ice from an old book I found. But I didn't learn much.

That's part of the truth. I didn't mention that I've been on the run and I'm the reason several people died.

Natsu put me in a headlock at one point, but I had to punch him in the gut again. Natsu like the brother I never had- annoying, childish, but funny.

"All right, guys," Lucy yawned. "We should sleep so Nicole's not brain dead tomorrow." I nodded sleepily, lying back on the couch. Lucy pushed Gray out of her bed. Erza produced a small bed out of nowhere and lay down comfortably. Natsu and Happy were sprawled out on the floor, snoring away. Gray settled down far away from the snoring monsters.

Soon, we were all fast asleep. Well, most of us. I was still wide awake, sighing softly and staring at the ceiling. I turned over a few times. I was comfortable, sure, but not as much as I wanted to be.

Will I ever fit in here?


	4. Explanations

**And chapter four for Secrets Can Kill is here!**

**Really hope you're enjoying. Feel free to spread the word about this story- I want get as much feedback as possible and hope others will enjoy it too. I will be doing the seventh Grand Magic Games, with a bit of twist seeing as Nicole will be there. Hopefully you guys will like it!**

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**Waterstar45: You'll just have to wait and see what type of wizard she is! MWAHAHA.**

**Chapter 4: Explanations**

**Gray's POV**

I was laying down, blinking up at the ceiling, when I heard movement. Nicole was rolling over on her couch. I heard her sigh in frustration and I finally decided to speak out. "…Nicole?"

"Yeah?"

"I take it you can't sleep?"

"Obvious enough."

"Ha."

"You can't either?"

I shrugged, then realized she probably wasn't looking at me. "Naw. You're bothering me."

"What?…" She asked in confusion. I mentally slapped myself.

"That sounded bad." I sighed. "I mean I've got questions about you."

She doesn't say anything for a while. Them "I'm a mysterious person for a reason. My secrets could kill you."

I smirked. "Exaggerator."

"I'm serious."

The smirk faded from my lips and twisted into a frown. "Elaborate."

"Nope."

"You gotta tell me now."

"Nope."

"Oh, come on, stubborn!"

"Nope!"

"You're going to wake everyone up!"

"Probably."

I gritted my teeth. "Damn, you're frustrating."

"I try." I can see her smiling in the dark.

"Okay, Emereon. If I'm taking you to Hakobe, I'm going to know some of these deadly secrets. Or else I can't help."

"…Fine." She exhaled loudly. "So I didn't grow up in a small town."

"Keep going," I prompted.

"I was on the run," she said quietly. I listened patiently as she continued. "On the run from this small group of people. They don't really have a name, but people called them the Destroyers. Their purpose is to capture powerful wizards and drain them of their magic power to use themselves." She sighed. "I was caught once, found out about it all, and escaped. I can't do much, but they have this strange belief I have extraordinary power." I imagined her rolling her eyes.

"So I kept moving. I wasn't alone, I travelled with... someone, but I don't want to talk about that. I met this girl named Liliana and she was one of the first people that didn't treat me like an instant outcast. We became friends…" Her breath caught in her throat. "And when the Destroyers caught up to me, she… tried to hide me… She was just human. No extraordinary powers. Only fourteen years old! And one time… when the ransacked the village… they shot her through the head, and I had to see it all."

I heard her sob quietly. I got up from my spot and sat next to her on the couch. "I'm the reason she died, I'm the reason _so many people_ died. I tried to save her but I couldn't. She last said she wanted me to be happy. But I can't! I can't be happy as long as they're alive." She clenched her fists, and as I studied her face, there was one lone tears rolling down her cheek. "I tried to join guilds and get stronger, one guild was completely wiped out with the exception of a few, and I escaped. So, in this huge risk, I tried coming to the strongest guild in Fiore. You guys."

She sniffled. Feeling warm and slightly touched, I wrapped my arms around her. She stiffened then relaxed just as quickly and we stayed that way for a few blissful moments before I pulled back. "And now I've practically doomed you all." She raised her hands in mock surrender. "Kill me now."

"We are going on that trip," I said quietly and surely. "You are going to get stronger, and we are all going to take them down."

Nicole sighed agin, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Okay, another secret. I know I've got some sort of power, but I've kept it secret so long that I probably can't use it anymore, and even if I did, it'd be bad." She shook her head quickly. "Why me?"

I grinned. "I'm going to get you to use that power at Hakobe."

"Let's see," Nicole whispered, smiling. She's got a nice smile.

"All right, you sleep," I said, hopping off the couch. "Big rest. We're leaving in a few days." She nodded.

"Yeah. You sleep too."

But I listened until her breathing slowed before I finally allowed darkness to take over.


	5. Day 2 At The Guild

**And here we have chapter 5! Thank you for… No reviews.**

**Please, please, please review. Favourite. Follow. Even if you don't have a fan fiction account, you can review! This is shocking me because I read one-shots that have over 100 favourites. Yes, favourites. Yes, over 100. And it's a one-shot! This story is continuing! **

**Sorry about that little rant. I'm just… Frustrated. Oh, you know how I said I would feature the 1st Grand Magic Games? Never mind. I'm doing the 7th, just like in the story. It's just easiest for me to write 'bout. There will be a few mix ups, though.**

_**Previously:**_

"_We walk to Mount Hakobe."_

"_Why?"_

"_Well, apparently, it's not that far. Besides, I kind of get… Motion sick."_

_I laugh. "Really? So does Natsu!"_

"_Really?" I feel her tense._

"_It's fine!" I say with a laugh. I place a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go!"_

**Chapter 5: Day 2 at the Guild**

**Lucy's POV**

Erza, Happy, and I laughed as Natsu pulled himself through the window, groaning and complaining. We sighed in relief as Gray came back with Nicole, although the two of them looked very tense behind their smiles. We joked, laughed, and finally decided to fall asleep.

I woke up first. _I really need a shower. No, a bath._

As I climb into the hot, relaxing, bath water, I decide to think about what I know about my new friend.

Nicole.

~Uses ice magic

~Says two words that she will not tell us

~Bad history

~Recently joined Fairy Tail

~Ninja

~Smart

~Doesn't seem to be very confident in herself

"What do you think, Plue?" My wrinkled dog spirit, whom I summoned as soon as I woke up, shrugs. I sigh, and hop out of the bath tub.

I wrap a towel around my body and step out of the bathroom. I scream.

Nicole is, for some reason, perched on top of my dresser. I see Gray and Natsu at each other's necks by the dresser. They are arguing, screaming, and pretending to be best friends whenever Erza glances over. Wait, Erza? Why is she at my desk, holding a stack of paper-

"GIMME!" I lunge over and snatch the paper from Erza. Erza glares at me.

"You can't take that away! I need to know what happens next!"

"No, you don't!" I retort.

"LUCY…" She death-glares me.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," I squeak. But I sigh in relief as the boy's shouting attracts her attention.

"Boys! What is going on! And… Why is Nicole on a dresser?"

"This pyro started it!"

"Did not, Ice-Princess!"

"Did too, flame brain!"

"Did not, stripper!"

"Did too, dumb nut!"

"Did not, snowflake!"

"Did too-"

"Shut up!" Erza roars. The boys sit up straight, ignoring each other, with fake smiles plastered on their faces. I giggle.

"Do you wish to join them, Heartfilia?"

"No, ma'am!" I squeal.

"Now," Erza continues, "Why is Nicole on top of the dresser?"

"Because I did not want to be in their way," she explains smoothly.

Erza nods. "Fair enough. Now, everyone get dressed, and we will go to the guild!"

"Um," Nicole mumbles, "Can I say something?…"

"Go ahead," Erza urges.

"I'd like to know what your favourite foods are. I want to bake you guys something. It's the least I can do for all the nice stuff you've done for me. And at the same time, I can explore the city."

"That would be awesome!" I say happily. "Thanks Nicole! Honestly, I'll eat any dessert."

"You don't need anything else to eat," Happy (who just happened to appear out of nowhere) giggles. "You're already overweight!"

"What was that, cat?" I hiss. Happy's face pales.

"I absolutely adore strawberry cake," Erza mumbles, a sparkle in her eye.

"Anything burnt!" Natsu shouts.

"Fish!" I bet you can guess who said that.

"Anything cold." I bet you can guess who said that too.

Nicole beams. "Great! I'll meet you at the guild around noon, okay?" We all nod. She waves good bye before she leaves out the door.

"What a nice girl," Erza says.

"Yep," Happy squeals. "Now I might actually get fish! Because Lucy never gets me any, anyways."

"Hey, I try!" I whine.

After a half hour of squabbling, shouting, and burnt toast, we head down to the guild hall. We arrive to happy welcomes- and a full guild hall.

" 'Ello, guys and gals!" Cana slurs. "Where's the newbie? Scared away already?"

"No, Cana," I laugh, "She's out at the moment. She'll be by later."

"Good to hear," Master beams. "I'm glad she's fitting in."

"You could say that," Gray murmurs behind me.

Natsu leaps over the tables. "WHO WANTS TO FIGHT?"

"Nobody, Natsu," Elfman replies. "It's not manly to start fights for no reason."

"He's got a point, Natsu," Lisanna smiles, staring into Natsu's eyes. I find myself a bit uncomfortable.

"Hey, Lu-chan!" Levy!

"Hey Levy-chan!" I smile at her.

We exchange friendly greetings, talk, laugh, and eventually, party with the rest of the guild. For a while…. It's been, what, 2 hours now? I almost forget all about Nicole, until I hear, "Hey guys!"

I turn to the guild entrance to see Nicole. She looks great! She's wearing the black crop top with sleeves, a black skirt and silver belt, and the knee- high black boots. Her hair is flat over her shoulders, not in a ponytail. She looks really nice!

"I brought the treats!" And then I notice the huge wagon behind her…

**Nicole's POV**

I pull on the wagon one last time, and it rattles to the entrance of the guild hall. I see the shocked yet delighted faces of my guild mates. _I hope it's all worth it!_

"I, uh, made these, as, uh, a thank you!" I reach to the top of the large wagon and pull out a huge container. "Erza!"

Erza walks over as I lift the lid off the container. "I made a vanilla cake with strawberry filling and strawberries decorated on top, is that okay?" I think I did a great job- the strawberries on the top form a Fairy Tail symbol.

"It's… Perfect," she whispers, running off with her cake.

Next I pull out a huge container- and I mean, huge. Probably up to my hips in height. "Natsu? I made a bunch of barbecue chicken. I hope it's enough…"

"You… Hope it's enough?" Lucy chokes. Natsu's mouth begins to water as he lunges over ti the huge bucket.

"Happy! I made you fish!" I pull out a small barrel, topped with fish, out for Happy. Happy cheers, runs over and hugs my leg, and takes the fish and sits beside Natsu.

"Gray! You said you wanted something cold, so I made you ice cream cake! I made one for Juvia too, if that's okay…"

"Of course it's okay!" Juvia says warmly. "Juvia thanks you!" She takes her cake and goes to eat beside Gray, who is also happily munching on his cake, mumbling his thanks. I guess Juvia has already forgotten the incident from last night. Oh, well. It's better to forget it anyway.

"Lucy-" I'm cut off by a cheer from Natsu.

"THIS IS THE BEST TASTING CHICKEN I'VE EVER HAD!" He pours the remainder of the barrel into his mouth and tosses it away with a burp. "That. Was. Delicious!"

"I'm glad you liked it!"

I spend the next fifteen minutes handing out everything else. Lucy got brownies. I gave Wendy, the small healer girl, some chocolates, which she shared with her cat, Carla. The guild members were introducing themselves to me as they came to get something to eat. Lucy had told me about an Iron Dragon Slayer, and said Dragon slayer ate iron. Gajeel walked away happy with a mouthful (and a bucketful) of iron.

A man, who said it was 'very manly of me to do this' took some brownies as well, saying it was manly to eat brownies. His name was Elfman. Very fitting name. The drunk girl- Cana, was it?- took the entire case of beer and mumbles a drunken 'thanks'. Lisanna, Elfman's younger sister, took some chocolate cake. She seems like one of the nicest people here! Besides Lucy.

I continued getting rid of my supply until there was nothing left. I sighed, wiped my forehead, and slumped down on a table.

"God, I'm exhausted!" I moan.

Lucy laughs. "You may be exhausted, but you're an amazing cook!"

"Aye!" Mumbles Happy through a mouthful of fish.

"Yeah! These are the manliest brownies I've had in a long time!" cheers Elfman.

"They're really good!" Wendy adds. "Thank you!"

I blush. "T- Thanks, guys."

"You know what this means?" Cana yells. "PARTY!"

"YEAH!" The rest of the guild shouts. Makarov has joined in- he took some cupcakes for himself- and was cheering along with everyone else. _So this is what it's like to be part of a guild… Part of a family._

We drink, laugh, cheer, and have a good time for the rest of the afternoon. Natsu and Gray start a fight at one point and nearly end up killing Mira, but she's okay. Gray and Natsu have good sized bumps on their heads- courtesy of Erza- but they'll live. And then Natsu screamed, "FOOD FIGHT!"

Food was flying everywhere. I ducked, dodged, twisted, turned, leaped, and screamed, but I still ended up hit in the arm with a brownie, and cake icing smeared over my back. Good thing I made a LOT of extras. And when I say, a lot, I mean, a lot.

Lucy screams as a cupcake hits her in the face. Natsu has his arm extended, a small surprised look on his face. "Sorry, Luce, didn't mean to hit you!"

"Why, you…" Lucy pulls the cupcake off her face and hurls it at Natsu, who now has a cupcake on his face.

"Duck!" I duck as a piece of ice cream cake sails over my head. _Gray._

"Oh no…" The ice cream is smudged in Erza's hair, while Erza was peacefully trying to enjoy her cake. Erza slowly looks up, and evil glint in her eye.

"THIS. MEANS. WAR!" Erza begins attacking everyone in the guild. As Gray screams for mercy, I silently sneak away from Gray and Erza.

And that's how my second day went in the Fairy Tail guild.

But little did I know it would be the most peaceful day I'll have in a long time.


	6. At Last, We're Leaving

**And this is now chapter 6 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Thank you for the reviews! It's nice to know people are still enjoying the story. Thanks again. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Note. This is rated 'T' for a reason. There might be a bit of very mild swearing. Just some warning.**

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**WaterStar45: Oh boy, did it ever escalate quickly… But that's Fairy Tail for you!**

_**Previously:**_

_Food was flying everywhere. I ducked, dodged, twisted, turned, leaped, and screamed, but I still ended up hit in the arm with a brownie, and cake icing smeared over my back. Good thing I made a LOT of extras. And when I say, a lot, I mean, a lot._

_Lucy screams as a cupcake hits her in the face. Natsu has his arm extended, a small surprised look on his face. "Sorry, Luce, didn't mean to hit you!"_

"_Why, you…" Lucy pulls the cupcake off her face and hurls it at Natsu, who now has a cupcake on his face._

"_Duck!" I duck as a piece of ice cream cake sails over my head. Gray._

"_Oh no…" The ice cream is smudged in Erza's hair, while Erza was peacefully trying to enjoy her cake. Erza slowly looks up, an evil glint in her eye._

"_THIS. MEANS. WAR!" Erza began attacking everyone in the guild. As Gray screams for mercy, I silently sneak away from Gray and Erza._

_And that's how my second day went in the Fairy Tail guild._

_But little did I know it would be the most peaceful day I'll have in a long time._

**Chapter 6: At Last, We're Leaving**

**Nicole's POV**

I yawn and stretch my arms as I wake up the next morning. I've been sleeping on Lucy's couch, and tonight, the others didn't stay over. At least I got a peaceful night's sleep, for once.

Lucy is sitting up in her bed, too. "Hey! How was your sleep?"

"Great," I yawn. "What are we doing today?"

"You're leaving for Mount Hakobe!" Lucy exclaims, giving me the 'how-could-you-have-forgotten' look.

"Ah, crap! That's right!" I sit upright. "Gray told me to meet him at the guild at 9:00!"

"Eep! It's 8:48!"

"GAH!"

I hurdle off the couch and run to the bathroom to change. As I slam the door behind me, I hear Lucy yell, "Open! Gate of the maiden! Virgo!"

Once I'm finished, I appear out of the bathroom. The pink-haired maid is holding a bag for me.

"There you are, mistress. Everything you have is in there."

"Thank you, Virgo. But please, call me Nicole."

"Very well. You may punish me. Punish me now, please?"

"Lucy! What kind of weird spirit is this?"

As Lucy explains the behaviour of her spirit, I throw on my boots and Virgo's gate closes. I grab a fistful of jewels to put in my pocket (just in case) and I'm about to leave when I'm stopped by Lucy.

"Have a good time! See you in a week!" We hug, and she waves as I leave.

When I arrive at the guild, Gray is already there, wearing black pants and a white collared t-shirt. He looks up at me. "Ready to go?"

I nod. "Sorry I'm late!"

"You're not late. Now, let's go. I don't want to be stalled by-"

"Hey ya, Nikki!"

Natsu charges out of the guild, Happy right behind him. His signature goofy grin is plastered on his face. His scarf flaps behind him. Gray sighs in annoyance. "Where's Luce? We gotta job we want to take, but we got to wait for her."

"Aye!"

"She'll come. We kind of… slept in a bit today."

"Oh. Well, she'll come. Nah, she won't. I just have to go and find her."

"Natsu, wait!" But he's already running off. "What if Lucy's changing?"

"Actually," Gray says, avoiding the question, "I wasn't wanting to be stalled by pinky either. It was Juvia I was thinking of."

My face pales. "Oh, god. Let's go. Now!"

He smirks. "Okay. If you can keep up!"

"Have fun!" Calls Makarov. We wave good bye as we run towards Mount Hakobe.

*~* TIME SKIP *~* 4 HOURS AND 2 MINUTES AND 13 SECONDS LATER *~*

"Well… We're here," I pant, leaning against the snowy mountain side. We ran, jogged, and walked in our effort to get here. I went quicker than I expected. Gray has collapsed in the snow.

"The snow is so nice!" He cries. I laugh.

"It is refreshing, isn't it?"

"Okay. Let's find somewhere to make camp." Together we stagger off along the mountain side.

We walk for a bit before I start to see caves along the mountain wall. "We could find a cave. As long as it doesn't have a Vulcan in it, I mean."

Gray nods. "Yeah, that one looks fine." He points to a small cave on the left. We cross through the snow and peer into the cave.

The ground is littered with blankets, sleeping bags, back packs, and tools. "Well, looks like someone else is here too. Never expected that."

Gray shrugs. "Neither did I. Let's keep moving."

About a 5 minute walk later, we find a small cave that's perfect for the two of us. We lay down our supplies and sit down. I stretch my legs and lean against the wall. "That walk was exhausting!"

"Yeah." Gray looks at me weirdly. "How are you not affected by the cold?"

I shrug. "Grew up in this weather. I'm used to it." He nods.

"Let's go. Might as well train while we're here."

"But we just walked forever!"

"Consider that a warm up."

*~* 4 minutes 48 seconds later *~*

I stare up… And up… And up. Of course. What does Gray decide to do first? Scale a mountain. Thankfully, the mountain isn't too steep. And there's no snow- yet.

"Ready?" He shifts his jacket and stares at me expectantly.

"Always." I leap up and latch my hand onto a pocket in the ice wall.

"Get back down!" he calls. I sigh and leap down again. "Get your jacket off." I roll my eyes but do as he says, now in a green and black tank top. He grabs my jacket and puts it in his pack. He strips off his shirt, throwing that in the pack too. My cheeks flare, and I almost slap myself. _Why are you blushing? _"There. Will you be fine?"

"Of course I will," I snap.

"Are you a good climber?"

I shrug. "Kind of. I guess so."

"Good. Then let's go." Together, we climb the mountain wall. I jump up, stabbing my foot into an edge in the snowy rock. I grab onto another chunk of ice and haul myself up. Gray is a bit ahead of me, but what do you expect?

Not very far up, we find a large ice cave. Gray hauls himself into the cave, grabs my hand, and pulls me up too. I sit next to him, catching my breath, before he stands up and walks into the cave. I follow.

Gray stares up. I follow his gaze and see a row of icicles. "They're beautiful," I breathe.

Gray reaches up and snaps one off. "They're neat weapons, too."

I laugh and pull off another small icicle. "They're a good snack too!"

He laughs. "Wait, are you serious?" The look of shock on his face as I break a piece of the icicle off and pop it into my mouth is enough to make me laugh.

Sucking on the ice piece, I break off another piece and throw it to Gray. "Try it! It helps calm me down."

Reluctantly, he pops the ice shard into his mouth. "Not bad."

I beam. "See? What did I tell you?" I crunch the ice piece with my teeth, making him give me a very strange look.

Looking around the cave, the area is actually pretty big. There's a edge of ice jutting out of a higher wall, and there's a lot of head space. There's even a small crevice at one edge, and ice beams, like poles, sticking up into the roof of the cave in random locations. The floor is smooth, with footprints.

Footprints?

"People have been here before," I say, and Gray follows my finger to the footprints.

"Wow. Didn't even see those.

"We should go," he interrupts. I nod, feeling slightly disappointed to have to leave the cave.

Filled with renown strength, I actually keep pace with Gray as we scale the rest of the mountain. At one point, I slip a foot, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me back up. "Careful." I blush and continue climbing.

We're finally at the top. It's a breathtaking view. I sit down and lay back in the snow. "This is nice."

He lays down next to me, tucking his arms behind his head. "Yeah. It is."

Honestly? Right now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.


	7. Kidnapped?

**Chapter 7, here we are! Welcome, people and/or extraterrestrials to the seventh chapter for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Thanks for the reviews. The three things that make me continue are: 1) The lovely reviews, 2) The fact I have so much of this story planned out, and 3) My friend is reading it and keeps pestering me to update. She loves it :D**

**Anyways, enjoy. Thanks guys :D Reviews are very appreciated.**

**WARNING: More mature mentionings. Nothing too serious though. No actual scenes.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: Ha, that's cool! I LOVED eating snow and icicles as a kid. I'm glad I'm not the only one :D I love to update. So hopefully you'll see me update often!**

**Iceberry2666: Good prediction. Thank you for reviewing! But you'll have to see… MWAHAHA.**

**FairyTailLuver: I think they'd be cute together :3**

_**Previously:**_

"_People have been here before," I say, and Gray follows my finger to the footprints._

"_Wow. Didn't even see those. _

"_We should go," he interrupts. I nod, feeling slightly disappointed to have to leave the cave._

_Filled with renown strength, I actually keep pace with Gray as we scale the rest of the mountain. At one point, I slip a foot, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me back up. "Careful." I blush and continue climbing._

_We're finally at the top. It's a breathtaking view. I sit down and lay back in the snow. "This is nice."_

_He lays down next to me, tucking his arms behind his head. "Yeah. It is."_

_Honestly? Right now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else._

**Chapter 7: Kidnapped?**

**Nicole's POV**

The next 3 days continue on like that. Climbing, running, training, hitting, and having so much fun. Honestly, this is the best time I've had in a long time. Gray is an amazing teacher- patient, kind, smart, and always knows what he's doing. Honestly? He's underestimating me. A lot. I can keep up! I've lived most of my life under hardship. I can handle a bit of training. Sheesh.

He's worried for me too. When we went down the mountain on the first day, he kept looking back for me. At one point I almost slapped him, telling him to let me be. To be honest, it's actually really sweet.

We arrive back at the cave, exhausted and ready to sleep and eat. Thanks to previous nights, I know all about Gray- about Ur, Deliora, how his parents were killed, and he trained with Ur and Lyon. He told me about adventures he's been on with Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and Happy- But my ultimate favourite is either the Nirvana incident, or Galuna island- but meeting his old rival is such a mood would dampen anyone's spirits. Gray's been through so much- he's such a strong wizard. I laughed at all the points where he explained how Erza threatened him. Erza's a scary (but awesome) wizard.

I flop onto my sleeping bag and pick up and icicle. Learning of my weird habit, Gray and I have collected icicles. Yeah, I know, I'm weird.

Gray lounges on his sleeping bag, shirt off. He's weird too. "So this is our last night."

I nod, sighing. "I wish it didn't have to end. It doesn't feel like four days. I had so much fun though." Yawn.

I can almost hear him smile. "Yeah. Me too."

"Have I done okay?"

"You've done great!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

I sit up and sigh. "I'm going to go get firewood. We should get some light before we can't see our own feet. After all, we saw those pine trees, didn't we?" Yawn.

He sits up. "No, I'll go. You look like you'll drop off your feet any second."

"Am I really that tired?" I murmur, flopping back onto the sleeping bag. He laughs.

"Gray, your clothes."

"How the hell did that happen?"

I chuckle to myself as he walks out of the cave, pants on (thank god) grumbling. I quickly fall into a quick sleep.

"Don't. Move."

I open my eyes. I know I haven't been out long- the sky's still a faded pink. Gray's not back. So… Who is this?

Three men. One is searching through our stuff. Another is watching the entrance. And the last one has a hand clapped over my mouth, strong hands holding me down. The one holding me down had a stout face, huge eyebrows, and a small mouth. His hands are huge, sweaty, and meaty. The one by the entrance is average size, with a black cloak. His hair is a deep, royal blue. And the one searching through our stuff has a crazed look on his face, spiky purple hair (and I thought Natsu's hair was weird!) and skinny hands.

I bite down on the hand over my mouth. A scream. The hands are removed from my mouth and my shoulders. I quickly back up against the cave wall. "Who are you?"

The men survey me. I'm not a specimen! "Answer me now. Who are you?"

The crazy one giggles. "Ooo, she's feisty."

Huge Eyebrows chuckles. "We are thieves, from the thieving guild Lighting Palace."

I narrow my eyes. "I've heard of you. You kidnap woman for your own sexual purposes. You sicken me."

Purple Hair glares at me. "Don't jump to conclusions. You can't believe everything you hear."

"In this case," I snarl, grabbing the first thing closest to me- an icicle- "I think I can believe that."

"Ooo, an icicle," Purple Hair taunts. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Eat it," I deadpan. They stare at me with incredulous looks on their faces.

"Enough small talk," Huge Eyebrows huffs. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not."

"Make me." I hold out the icicle, feeling silly.

"We've got that fella of yours- Gray?" Eyebrows adds. Crazy has a sly look in his eyes.

The icicle clatters to the floor. "W- What?"

"Come with us, or he'll get hurt." Purple Hair threatens.

"I'll come," I say without hesitation. How could they have gotten Gray? Probably followed him. Jumped him, knocked him out.

"Good," giggles Crazy, before he whacks me over the head with a sword. The next thing I see is black.

**Gray's POV**

I grab another armful of wood and start trekking back to the cave. _Stubborn Nicole… Thinking she could come out to get firewood. She looks like a corpse! She better be sleeping when I get back._

I finally see sight of the cave. It's all quiet. The sun's about to set. Why are there footprints- 3 sets of them- leading towards the cave?

Firewood forgotten, heartbeat quickening, I sprint over to the cave. "Nicole!"

There's nobody there.

I frantically search around the cave. Someone has gone through our stuff. Footprints everywhere. Icicles scattered. _What happened here?_

I look away from the cave. I see three sets of footprints leading aaa from the cave- towards the mountain we scaled on the first day. There's also a long, fat line trekking through the snow, indicating they were dragging something. What?

Heart racing, I run after the footprints, one thought forming in my mind.

_She's in trouble. Nicole's in trouble._


	8. Creepy Dudes and a Beating Stick

**Voila, chapter 8 of Secrets Can Kill!**

**Thank you for 10 followers, 4 favourites, and 24 reviews! **

**And on to chapter 8. You're going to find out who she is very, very soon… Although some of you have good hunches. Well, you'll have to find out!**

**~REVIEWS~**

**Iceberry2666: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed!**

**IlluminatiLeaderTati: Thank you very much! Eh, she has her reasons for believing them. But you'll see…**

**WaterStar45: I love updating quickly- honestly, it's fun! Lightning Palace is made up. I made it up myself. It's a thieving guild, that uses a lot of dark magic.**

**FairyTailLuver: She might care for him… EEEE they're so cute!**

_**Previously:**_

_I finally see sight of the cave. It's all quiet. The sun's about to set. Why are there footprints- 3 sets of them- leading towards the cave?_

_Firewood forgotten, heartbeat quickening, I sprint over to the cave. "Nicole!"_

_There's nobody there._

_I frantically search around the cave. Someone has gone through out stuff. Footprints everywhere. Icicles scattered. _What happened here?

_I look away from the cave. I see three sets of footprints leading away from the cave- towards the mountain we scaled on the first day. There's also a long, fat line trekking through the snow, indicating they were dragging something. What?_

_Heart racing, I run after the footprints, one thought forming in my mind._

She's in trouble. Nicole's in trouble.

**Chapter 8: Creepy Dudes and a Beating Stick**

**Nicole's POV**

When I come to, all I see is ice. What? I sit up slowly, and through the transparent wall in front of me I see the three thieves. But no Gray.

_Nicole, did it ever occur to yourself that they may be bluffing?_

I hit my head off the back wall of ice. How could I have been so stupid? So naïve? I'm so mad at myself! Ugh…

The three turn. Surprisingly, I can see them through the glass- er, ice. The fat one chuckles. "Ah, she's awake. Took long enough."

The Purple haired crazy freak giggles. "She's a crazy gal."

I sigh. I guess I'll have to fight. As I'm about to move to punch through the ice, and spike pierces its way out of the wall and at my throat. Startled, I jump back.

"Ah, didn't expect that one, were you?" Purple Hair giggles. "We can use magic too! I can control any ice, no matter human made or natural. Pretty good, considering the territory, hmm?" He leans closer to the glass. "My name is Golfer. The fat one is Sterling, and the blue haired silent one is Marco. Don't even think about trying to leave, or I will stab you." He giggles as he trots away.

"I can do my own introduction, thank you very much," Sterling announces. He presses his face against the ice. "I am Sterling, and I possess the awesome power to make a sword appear out of nowhere! Behold!" True to his word, a sword appears in his right hand. "Awesome, right?"

He motions towards the blue haired guy- Marco. "He's mute. Doesn't say anything. But he has the power to control the Earth! Not like it does much good here, though."

"Has it ever occurred to you," I snapped, "That I might not care?"

The three look at me, curious gazes studying me.

"What are you looking at?"

"Watch your mouth, girlie," Golfer giggles, and another ice spike lowers from the ceiling over my head. I duck instantly. Just because I'm an ice wizard, it doesn't mean I can't be killed by ice.

"Question," I say, "How am I breathing?"

Golfer snorts. "Air holes. Duh."

"I call first go at her!" Sterling announces. I know what he means and I am not, I repeat, NOT going to do it.

"No!" Golfer squeaks. "My trap, I'm first!"

"So, you're not going to kill me?" I ask. The two stop arguing and focus on me. "Then what are the threats and the spikes for?"

"We're allowed to injure you," Golfer giggles, "But not kill."

"God, you guys bluff a lot," I mutter. Bored, I snap the icicle off the roof and begin gnawing on it.

The three of them stare at me, startled. "What the hell are you doing?" Sterling hisses.

"Eating it," I say, obviously.

The three stare. "Why?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Because if I eat it I'll regain my magical powers and destroy you all?"

Golfer laughs. "I like this one. Sarcastic and brave."

"I wasn't kidding," I warn them. They stare at me, obviously not believing me. So, with a yell, I slam my palm against the ice and it shatters.

Golfer's eyes bug. "Ooo, she's feisty!"

"You little creep!" I kick him and he sails into the back wall. Sterling summons a sword and comes up behind me.

I murmur something, then scream, "SPEAR!" and a 6 foot long spear made of ice appears in my hand. Sterling looks at me funny.

"Who are you?" He swings the sword, and I block, they thrust my spear at his stomach. For a fat guy, he's pretty fast. I swipe at his head, and jump back when he swipes at me.

"Who. Are. You?" He asks again. I ignore him and swipe at him again. Then something lashes out at my legs and I'm on the floor. My spear shatters. But Sterling hasn't moved…

Marco! I forgot about him. Sterling advances on me with his sword. I remain perfectly still.

"I'm only going to ask one more time," he hisses. "Who are-"

"Ice Make: Lance!"

Gray!

Curved ice lances sail at Sterling and Marco. Because of the distraction, I jump and punch Sterlin in the face. An ice lance catches him in the back. Marco swings his fist at me, but I duck and flip him over my shoulder. Gray uses Ice Make: Prison and the two are held under an ice cage.

He looks at me, worry in his gaze. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes. No. ARGHHHH…"

He stares at me in amusement as I pick up an icicle and begin to beat Sterling with it.

"I-" I hit him in the nose- "Am-" I hit him in the throat- "So-" I hit him again- "Stupid!" Gray laughs.

"Yeah, just take out your anger on the enemy. That works."

He fails to see the seriousness of my situation. "No, I'm so stupid! They told me they captured you, so then they had me off guard and kidnapped me! I should have known it was a bluff, but no! I am so stupid for believing them that easily!"

"Don't beat yourself up over it," he says. "That's not going to help."

"I don't care," I seethe. "I-"

Ice spikes start moving our of the ground. "Move!" I cry, shoving Gray out of the way. We run for the exit to the cave. The ice spikes continue to follow us, so much as that we're hopping every other step. I curse.

"I forgot about this freak!"

"What?"

"He can control any ice!"

"WHAT?"

"That makes our attacks useless!" I jump out of the way as an ice boulder shoots past me. Gray ducks. Golfer appears out of the shadows, giggling maniacally.

"This is the creep?" Gray asks. I nod in confirmation.

"I'm going to rip you apart!" He cackles gleefully. "But not the girl. I like the girl."

My cheeks flare and I grit my teeth. Gray steps in front of me. "You're not laying a finger one her."

"Whatcha going to do about it, Ice boy?" The prison holding back Sterling and Marco vanishes, and the two step out, ready to fight. Gray's knits his eyebrows together. I put one hand on his shoulder and gently move him out of the way. I take a few steps forward.

"Nicole? What are you doing?" he asks. I ignore him and step in front of him.

"You want to keep me, right? Well, you'll have to kill me to get to him."

Golfer grins. "Then I'll have to kill you!"

I was not expecting that.

"You want to know who I am?" I call. Sterling stares intently. "I'm Nicole Emereon. I'm a proud member of Fairy Tail. I'm a wizard who's going to kick your butt."

But I'm not finished. "I'm also an Ice Dragon Slayer."

"WHAT?" Come the shouts in unison of Gray, Sterling, and Golfer. Marco's mouth is wide open, gaping in shock.

"Ice Dragon… ROAR!" The blast of icy air roars out of my mouth and knocks the three back into the far wall.

"Nicole…" Gray stares at me, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't," I murmur, "I'll explain everything later, I promise."

He stills stares at me, unsure of what to do.

"You can trust me. You should know that. Everyone has their secrets. I chose not to reveal mine. Now you know. Are you happy?" His expression remains the same.

"I said, are. You. Happy?"

Then the ice cracks under my feet.

The exit we tried to leave opens over a cliff side. I can't even see the floor, it's that far down. I curse. Gray remains silent. I'm standing on the edge to that exit. Then the ice cracks.

Golfer chuckles weakly from his position at the far end of the cave. "I got one more trick up my sleeve!"

The ice cracks. "Gray, what's going on-"

"If I can't have you, nobody will!" The Purple Haired freak screeches. The ice cracks under my feet, and I plummet downwards, down into the dark, shutting my eyes, the last thing I'm seeing is Gray's shocked face before I shut my eyes and fall into nothingness.


	9. Maybe He Does Care

**Chapter 9, for Secrets Can Kill!**

**I can't say nobody expected that. I mean, I dropped a few hints. Iceberry2666 knew right off the bat :P But thanks to those who stuck around. That's definitely not all to the story- a mess with Grimiore Heart is still to follow. Just because I said no S-Class Exam, doesn't mean they stopped looking for Zeref! But what happens when 'The Destroyers' get in the mix? Also be prepared for the 7th Grand Magic Games, and the return of Lightning Palace! Man, I've got so much in store for this story.**

**Anyways. Moving on.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: YAY FOR DRAGON SLAYERS!**

**Iceberry2666: Yep, you did know it! Good job!**

**FairyTailLuver: I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story! Honestly, I've also wanted to be an ice dragon slayer (hence my name, Dutchess FROST) **

_**Previously:**_

"_Nicole…" Gray stares at me, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_I couldn't," I murmur, "I'll explain everything later, I promise."_

_He still stares at me, unsure of what to do._

"_You can trust me. You should know that! Everyone has their secrets. I chose not to reveal mine. __Now you know. Are you happy?" His expression remains the same._

"_I said, are. You. Happy?"_

_Then the ice cracks under my feet._

_The exit we tried to leave opens over a cliff side. I can't even see the floor, it's that far down. I curse. Gray remains silent. I'm standing on the edge to that exit. Then the ice cracks._

_Golfer chuckles weakly from his position at the far end of the cave. "I got one more trick up my sleeve!"_

_The ice cracks. "Gray, what's going on-"_

"_If I can't have you, nobody will!" The Purple Haired freak screeches. The ice cracks under my feet, and I plummet downwards, down into the dark, shutting my eyes, the last thing I'm seeing is Gray's shocked face before I shut my eyes and fall into nothingness._

**Chapter 9: Maybe He Does Care**

**Gray's POV**

Without a seconds hesitation, I jump, skyrocketing downwards, that maniac laughing behind me. Plunging head first towards the ground, the air is chilling and my face feels like it's peeling off. But I'm moving faster than Nicole. I can catch up to her. She's got her eyes closed, her golden brown hair framing her face. _Is she already accepting death?_

_She can't give up that easily! _I extend my arms forward, and as soon as I'm close enough, grab onto her waist. Her eyes pop open, and above the roaring wind, I can hear her whisper my name.

"Gray…"

I clutch her tighter and she buries her head in the crook of my neck. I concentrate on my breathing and her breathing, not focusing on the quickly approaching snowy mountain floor.

What is it like to die? Cold, dark, and lonely? Would our Fairy Tail guilds members even find our bodies? Would we break on impact, or could my body serve as a landing platform for her, and maybe she could survive?

Why did I even jump off in the first place?

I'll never know the answers to those questions. Well, not for another minute or so. I pull my hands around her back and into her hair. Her hands clutch tightly at my back- correction, they _clutched._ Where did she go?

Over the roar of the wind, I hear her scream. "Ice Dragon KNIFE!" I feel the cold blade against my shirt. _Is she… Trying to kill me?_

No, she's digging the knife blade into the side of the cliff. I pull back for a minute to see her eyes tightly shut in concentration and her teeth gritted. Then we start to slow down.

But not quick enough. The ground is looming ahead of us. Our feet twist around and we're plummeting feet first now, not head first. But we're not slowing down enough so we won't die on impact. I grit my teeth and remove one hand from Nicole's waist. She blinks in surprise, but I yell, "Ice Make: Sword!" And a sword appears in my own hand. I, too, dig my weapon into the snowy mountain side and hold on for dear life. Her breathing has quickened. I can't blame her; I think mine has too._ I don't want to die I don't want to die _

We hit ground.

But not hard. At least, not for me. I fall and roll to the side, finding myself not very injured. The sword that was in my hand vanishes.

Then I see Nicole.

The knife is gone from her hand, ice bits scattered in the wind. Her eyes are closed, tightly, as if she's in pain. Wait, she IS in pain! Her leg is twisted at a really awkward angle. She moans quietly, wincing as she tries to sit up. That's when I realized that she cushioned my fall- she got the worst of the impact. God…

"Nicole…" I shift over so I'm sitting next to her. She's got a gash in her sleeve of her jacket, and I can see a line of blood. Her leg doesn't look bad, with the exception on the funny angle. She tries to sit up, then hisses through her teeth and collapses again.

"Don't move," I tell her. "You'll be fine. Uh…" I'm no doctor. I don't know what to do!

"Marol," she whispers hoarsely.

"What?"

"Name of… my dragon."

"Oh."

We sit in silence, the only sound being the rush of the wind. I tear off the sleeve of her jacket and survey the gash. I don't think it's that deep. I don't think… I wrap the sleeve around the gash so it stops bleeding.

I leave her leg for now. I could easily damage it by moving her. I don't want to risk it.

"Dragon…" she tries to speak again, but I stop her.

"Don't waste your breath. You need to rest."

As usual, she's stubborn and ignores me. "Raised in… Burlin Mountains… by Marol."

"Stop talking!" I hiss. She glares at me and continues. I know there's no stopping her so I sit back and listen.

"Marol was… my teacher. She taught… me how to read. And write. And… a bit of magic. But… one day she… left. I was still… little."

"Was it Year X777?" I ask. That's the day Igneel left Natsu, right?

She shakes her head. "I was younger."

I nod. "Okay. Go on."

"She came back. But… she was different. Colder. She… Never taught me anymore. And when… I asked, she… snapped at me. I didn't… know what to do. So I waited… And I never learned anymore… I was too… scared to teach myself, because… if she found out… I didn't want to know what would happen. Then she… left. Never came back. I didn't know where… she went. So I left to search…"

She coughs. "I heard of… a Salamander in Fairy Tail… So I thought, if I can find… him, he might help… But I saw how strong he was. I'm just am embarrassment. I can barely do anything."

"Hey, you're fine now, aren't you?"

She stares up at me and winces again. "Better. Not fine. Better."

"Okay," I say. "So when we go back, you can tell the guild now."

She immediately shook her head. "No. I kept this a secret for a reason."

"Okay, how naïve can you be? You've got to tell them."

"I'm not going to."

"I can't change your mind, can I?"

"Nope. You know me too well."

I sigh in frustration. "You will need to tell them at one point."

"I know," she murmurs in frustration. "Can we go back to the camp? I want to rest before we leave tomorrow."

"Have you even seen your leg?" I shout.

She shrugs. "Yeah. I'll live. In what condition, I can't say."

"You are so stubborn," I face-palm. She laughs, tries to stand up, and falls back down again. "Come on," I say. I put one arm under her legs, and one under her back, and pull her up. She winces and hisses. I wrap one of her arms around my shoulder, so her bad leg is closest to me, and I start to half carry, half walk back to our cave. She leans her head against my shoulder and I shake her to wake her up.

"Hey, no snoozing until we're back at the cave." She sighs, and pulls herself up again and hobbles onward.

"Oh, hate to break it to you," I add, "But you're going to need to ride in a carriage tomorrow."

Her face pales. "Do I have to?"

I nod. "You can't walk back, now can you? Unless you have healing powers like Wendy."

She shakes her head. "Nope."

"Hey," I ask, "How can you make stuff like weapons, or a floor with ice? Natsu can't do that."

She shrugs. "I tried to study after Marol left me. I learned how to make a simple defence- I can make a wall, and a floor- and the only offence I know is the spike. I can make weapons because I read a special book about making weapons with your own magic. All I can make are spears and knives, though."

"That's still cool," I remark. "I can make a lot of stuff."

"I know," she whispers. I can tell she's about to drop off her feet when I haul her into the cave. She falls against her sleeping bag and immediately is out cold.

I smile softly. I pack up our stuff and watch her sleep for a moment before falling asleep myself.

*~*~*~*THE NEXT MORNING*~*~*~*

"Ugh, my leg is killing me!" Nicole moans as we find our way to the main road.

"We'll be in a carriage soon," I promise.

"I don't know if that's better, or worse," she grumbles.

I finally see a carriage in the distance. It stops for us when I walk over and explain to the driver where we need to go. He nods. He's a friendly guy. Nicole lays down on one side on the cabin and promptly faints- whether from the motion, or her leg, or her tiredness. Maybe all three.

She ate a lot of ice before we left, and it helped a lot. But by the time we made it out of the mountains, she looked half-dead. Already, her face is starting to turn a tinge of green.

"So, what are you young ones doing out here?" he asks gruffly.

I explain our training. I don't mention the attack, or the thieves- it would be best if that was left unknown.

"Ah. Well then. You youngsters from a guild?"

I nod. "Fairy Tail."

He raises his eyebrows. "Well, I'll be! They're a mighty fine guild."

I grin. "Yeah, we are."

We ride in silence for a bit longer. He finally breaks the ice by telling me we're almost there. Good thing, too. Nicole's woken up once and does not look good.

"Ah, here we are!" he announced. I give him a pocket full of jewels from Nicole's pocket (I'm sure she won't mind… Right?) and he thanks me. He says one last thing before we leave. "She's a pretty one, isn't she?"

I nod absentmindedly, before blushing and glaring furiously at the ground. He chuckles, wishes me well, and leaves.

Nicole immediately wakes up. I hope she didn't hear any of that… "Ah, sweet ground!" She extends her arms to the open air before collapsing on her leg again. "Eep… Keep forgetting about that…"

"Come on," I say, rolling my eyes, before helping her limp into the guild. "We're back!" I holler. All eyes turn to us. Nicole smiles weakly.

"Are you okay, Nicole-san?" Wendy asks worriedly. Nicole nods, then collapses. Wendy leans over her immediately.

"What the hell happened, Gray?" barks Elfman. "A real man could take care of his girl!"

My face reddens. "She's not my girl!"

"You still should have taken care of her," Elfman retorts. "It's a manly thing to do!"

"It's fine," Nicole laughs, sitting up. "I feel perfectly fine now! Wendy, thank you so much!"

Wendy bows politely. "No problem!"

"And about that," she laughs, walking over to the white- haired man, "I got myself into a whole load of trouble. Nothing about him."

"Hey, Nikki!"

"Nicole!"

"Aye!"

Lucy, Natsu, Erza, and Happy come over to Nicole and I next. Lucy hugs her. "How was it?"

"It was great!" she says. "I learned a lot. I think I had…"

She trails off, sniffing the air. "What are you doing?" Lucy asks, staring at her weirdly.

"Do you smell that?" She asks, looking at Natsu.

Natsu smells the air. "Hey, what is-"

Nicole's eyes shut and she slips to the floor.

"Nicole! What the hell?" I kneel down next to her. Wendy looks down as well.

"She's out cold!" She reports. Then Wendy's eyes widen, and she slumps to the floor, unconscious.

"Hey… What's…" Natsu's eyes roll into the back of his head and he falls against the floor.

"What the hell is going on here?" Cana asks, bewildered. Gajeel slumps over at his table too. Levy is shaking his shoulder, frantically trying to wake him up.

Then I smell it.

It smells like…

"Mystogen?" I mutter in confusion. "No, that's impossible… Sleep magic…"

The last thing I see is Lucy's head hit the floor as I too fall into unconsciousness.


	10. Makarov

**Andddd, finally, here is chapter 10 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Ha ha. Okay, there was a bitty bit of confusion there. Let me explain.**

**a) It is not Mystogen. There's more than one person with sleep magic, ya know!**

**b) Not only dragon slayers are affected. They have stronger senses, so they smelt it first, but the others eventually picked up the smell. So, that is why they all eventually passed out.**

**Okee dokee! This chapter will be like a filler, so you know what is actually going on. In Makarov's POV! There we go!**

**~REVIEWS~**

**Iceberry2666: Thank you! I think it's really cute… :3**

**WaterStar45: Yes, that's how Gray could smell. Hope you still enjoyed the chapter!**

**FairyTailLuver: Sorry, I like suspense! Like, a lot… **

_**Previously:**_

_Lucy, Natsu, Erza, and Happy come over to Nicole and I next. Lucy hugs her. "How was it?" _

"_It was great!" she says. "I learned a lot. I think I had…"_

_She trails off, sniffing the air. "What are you doing?" Lucy asks, staring at her weirdly. _

"_Do you smell that?" She asks, looking at Natsu._

_Natsu smells the air. "Hey, what is-"_

_Nicole's eyes shut and she slips to the floor._

"_Nicole! What the hell?" I kneel down next to her. Wendy looks down as well._

"_She's out cold!" She reports. Then Wendy's eyes widen, and she slumps to the floor, unconscious. _

"_Hey… What's…" Natsu's eyes roll into the back of his head and he falls against the floor._

"_What the hell is going on here?" Cana asks, bewildered. Gajeel slumps over at his table too. Levy is shaking his shoulder, frantically trying to wake him up. _

_Then I smell it._

_It smells like… _

"_Mystogen?" I mutter in confusion. "No, that's impossible… Sleep magic…"_

_The last thing I see is Lucy's head hit the floor as I too fall into unconsciousness. _

**Chapter 10: Makarov**

I hear the ruckus outside my office door. I chuckle lightly to myself. _Ah, the two must be back. Funny how they have so much in common. I wonder if Gray knows about her…_

I hear them all chattering excitedly, then I hear a hushed silence. I frown in my seat. Hmm…

Then the noise starts up again. I hear a few thunks, like something hitting the floor. _I'd like to think they're simply having a typical Fairy Tail brawl…_

Then, I smell it.

It's sleep magic, like Mystogen's. But Mystogen, according to my children, stayed in Edolas to rule there. And this is a bit different. This smell is… darker, more powerful, more evil. I stagger upwards. Normally I could stand Mystogen's power, but this… Who could wield such power?

I trudge out of the office. From there, I see 6 people. All in black cloaks, hoods over their faces. Crouching over the limp bodies of the Fairy Tail members… My children!

The drowsiness is getting to me. I stagger out into the open. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY CHILDREN?"

The 6 hooded figures face me. One steps forward- I'm willing to bet that's their leader.

"Ah, Makarov Dreyar. Master of Fairy Tail. It is an honour to meet you." It's a man's voice, dark and sly.

"What are you doing to my children?" I repeat, stumbling.

"You won't need to know that," he chuckles. "Besides, you're almost out cold now anyway. I'm surprised you held out this long. Is it because that Mystogen character used the same type of magic? How unfortunate. I meant to put everyone to sleep."

I sway on the spot. He's not kidding. I'll pass out any moment. I stumble and hit my head on the floor. I force my eyes to remain open. _What are they doing?_

All of the leader's 5 lackeys each have hauled over one body. One person's hood falls and I see long, wavy, red hair. "Gargon, we have acquired the body of the one we seek, and the three others. Why are we bringing this one?" The red-haired lady is holding Gray, who lays limp in her arms. Asleep. Head flopped to one side. I struggle to stay awake.

"Violet, he knows too much. Milo, hurry up and get the girl into the wagon." One figure stumbles out, carrying a female with light brown hair in a black shirt, green vest, black boots and a black skirt with a silver belt. Nicole.

"Hurry up, Shulfur!" The leader- Gargon- commands.

"I would," he grunts, "if you might help me a little!" He's trying to drag Gajeel. His two friends have Wendy and Natsu. I see the connection- they're all dragon slayers. But why Gray? If they were looking for powerful wizards, then Erza most likely would have been included. What is going on, and why?

"Come on," Gargon hisses. "We have to reach the ship. We need to be at Tenrou Island by nightfall. Come on." Then I hear no more.

**Nicole's POV**

"Hey. Wake up."

I twitch. Someone's prodding me in the head with a metal beam.

"Wake up!"

I open my eyes. Gajeel has been poking me in the head with his foot- not even turned into metal. His foot is almost protected by a layer of the stuff.

"Where… are we?" I groan. I sit up, rubbing my head.

Gajeel sighs. "First of all, tell me why we're all chained up and you're not."

"What?"

We're in a long, dark, cold room. Kind of like a cellar. The cage door is about 20 feet away from me, and the room is maybe… 50 feet long. There is no lights. The only light I can see is a dim light outside of the cage door. Beside me, Gajeel is indeed chained, arms pulled up to the ceiling by chains. Natsu is on his other side, still asleep. On my other side, Gray is hanging, unconscious, in the same way as Gajeel, and Wendy is beside him. Why is Gray here?

"What the hell is going on?"

"My thoughts exactly." Gajeel shifts his weight around in the chains. "Mind getting me down?"

Then I realize he was right. I'm not chained to the wall like the others. I'm just sitting on the floor. I jump to my feet and say, "Sure. Give me a minute."

"Hey, where you going?" I walk past him to Natsu.

"Natsu. Natsu, walk up! Natsu!" He just groans and tilts his head to the side.

"FOOD!" I yell, and his eyes pop open immediately.

"Where? Food, where?" He thrashes around, and even under the circumstances, I manage a small smile.

"Hey, Natsu."

"Nikki? Why am I tied up? What's Iron Head doing here? Is this a game? Why did we fall asleep? Why are you the only one unchained? Why's Snowflake here too? Why-"

"NATSU!" I shout. "Please listen. This is dead serious. We need to get out of here. I think… I think I know where we are." I bite my lip. "I have a hunch why I'm unchained. But that can wait."

I exhale. "I'm going to wake up the others. You two? Be nice." I spin and run over to Gray.

"Gray. Gray. Gray!" He still won't wake up, so I slap him across the face. "GRAY!"

Gajeel winces beside me. "Ouch. That looks like it hurt."

Gray groans. "W… What?"

"Yay! Ice Princess is awake!"

"Natsu? What the hell are we doing here?"

I rapidly explain all I know, and I proceed to wake up Wendy- in a more gentle manner, obviously. After explaining to her what is going on, I'm clueless about what to do. So, I try to break the chains, but they're strong. Apparently, when cuffed, you can't used magic, so Gajeel is very pissed. Not to mention Natsu and Gray as well.

"Maybe I could freeze them, then break them?" I murmur to myself. I place a hand on one of Wendy's chains as the young Dragon Slayer watches. As a coil of ice winds its way around the chain, I hear a voice behind me.

"If you value your life, and the lives of the others, you'll stop and turn around."

I stop. And turn around. Then I gasp.

"I know you! What the hell is going on?"


	11. One Inch Away

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 11!**

**Hope you all enjoyed the suspense and explanations in the last chapter. Eh, who am I kidding, probably not. Anyhow, let me continue.**

**Oh! Oh oh oh oh oh! I want a vote! What pairing do you like? I can include it in the story!**

**Nalu (Natsu X Lucy)**

**StiLu (Sting X Lucy) **

**RoLu (Rogue X Lucy)**

**LoLu (Loke X Lucy)**

**LaLu (Laxus X Lucy)**

**GrayLu- NO WAY IN HELL! HE'S MINE LUCY NO WAY I'M INCLUDING THAT PAIRING HERE**

**Please vote in the reviews. I was just picking pairings I've seen before, if you have another pairing, tell me! Thank you!**

**~REVIEWS~**

**halo beast: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! It is indeed an interesting twist… :3**

**Iceberry2666: Not really… Good guess, though! Here's an update!**

**WaterStar45: I really like that line too! It's one I'll remember for a long time! Nice nickname list- I'll have to make one of those for all my friends! :)**

_**Previously:**_

_Gajeel winces beside me. "Ouch. That looks like it hurt."_

_Gray groans. "W… What?"_

"_Yay! Ice Princess is awake!"_

"_Natsu? What the hell are we doing here?"_

_I rapidly explain all I know, and I proceed to wake up Wendy- in a more gentle manner, obviously. After explaining to her what is going on, I'm clueless about what to do. So, I try to break the chains, but they're strong. Apparently, when cuffed, you can't used magic, so Gajeel is very pissed. Not to mention Natsu and Gray as well._

"_Maybe I could freeze them, then break them?" I murmur to myself. I place a hand on one of Wendy's chains as the young Dragon Slayer watches. As a coil of ice winds its way around the chain, I hear a voice behind me._

"_If you value your life, and the lives of the others, you'll stop and turn around."_

_I stop. And turn around. Then I gasp._

"_I know you! What the hell is going on?"_

**Chapter 11: One Inch Away**

**Gray's POV**

After Nicole woke me up and tried to explain what was happening, I was more confused than ever. I could understand why the other four were there- being Dragon Slayers and all- but why me? I wasn't that special.

Nicole looked very panicked. Everything she did was quick and efficient, and she was snapping at anyone who asked her a question. Even Natsu. What is going on?

I struggled against the chains. My wrists were killing me! Why was Nicole to only one unchained? As she set to work on Wendy, footsteps approached our prison.

"If you value your life, and the lives of the others, you'll stop and turn around." I had the feeling he wasn't talking to me, but the certain Ice Dragon Slayer on my right. Nicole did as they asked.

As she turned, I followed her gaze to see three people. One, the person who made the announcement, had spiky brown hair. A tuft sticks over one eye and he is grinning evilly. He has bright blue eyes, tinted with grey, which should have been bright and happy, but instead are dark and mysterious.

The person beside him is a girl with wavy, bright red hair. Her hair flows down past her shoulders, and she has a sharp, angular, face. Her lips are cherry head, and her eyes are a deep, plant=like green. She's slim, and is wearing a lot of make up.

The last person has blonde, spiky hair. For a second, I remember Sho, Erza's friend from the Tower of Heaven. But this blond had darker hair, and a colder expression to his face.

Nicole gasps loudly. "I know you! What the hell is going on?"

The man in the front smirks. "Ah, Nicole Emereon, I think you know perfectly well."

I see Nicole shaking in her boots. "Let. Them. Go. Now! I'm the one you want!"

The lady tsk-tsks. "Ah, dearie, you of all people should know we had to take Mr. Fullbuster here. In fact, you're the reason he's here, hmm?" She winks at me. My blood runs cold. Nicole pales, and now I know who they are. They're the 'Destroyers' Nicole told me about. So this is what she meant…

"Oi! Nikki! Are these the guys who need a pounding!" Natsu thrashing blindly in his chains. "Let me down and I'll give you a fight!"

The blond grunts. "He's a feisty one."

"Yeah, where the hell are we, what the hell are we doing here, why the hell are we here, and where the hell is everyone else?" Gajeel spins madly in the chains, but only has the same success as Natsu. The man in front raises his eyebrows.

"Is 'hell' your favourite word or something?" The guy asks. Gajeel growls and shakes his fists. "Don't bother trying to escape the chains," he adds, "Because they defuse all magic and are almost indestructible. They need the hand of one of us to touch the chain to break.

"Now," he continues, "To answer your questions. First of all, my name is Gargon. I'm the leader of this group."

"I'm Marnolia," the girl coos.

"You're also," Nicole scoffs, "The librarian back in Harmony Town."

The girls smirks at Nicole. "I make a good librarian."

"You make a better trash heap," Nicole retorts. Gajeel snorts in laughter. I find myself smiling too. Marnolia knits her eyebrows.

"Careful, girlie. That big mouth of yours will get you nowhere."

"Shulfur," the blond grunts.

"Now that that is out of the way," Gargon says, "Why don't we answer some other questions-"

"LET ME DOWN AND WE CAN FIGHT THIS OUT!" Natsu roars, attempting to spit fire, but failing. I sigh.

"Natsu, give it a rest!" He ignores me however. Then, a moment later, a knife is hovering by the side of his head.

Gargon smirks, a knife in his hand. "I have better aim than that. Mess with up, and we'll torte you worse than death." I didn't even see him throw the knife. God.

Nicole has remained silent. If these were the Destroyers she was talking about, I'm probably here because I 'knew too much.' This is what she meant. All along, she was just trying to save me…

"Where are we? Well, we're currently on an airship. You are in the dungeons- or, as we call it, torture room." Gargon smirks. "We are about to land on Tenrou Island."

"Tenrou Island?" I gasp. "That's a sacred place of Fairy Tail! Why there?"

"Second question," Gargon continues, ignoring me, "what are you doing here? Well, to put it in simplest terms, you're here because of her." He points at Nicole. "Thanks to this girl here. We have to thank you for that, Nicole." Nicole remains silent, staring at her feet. Natsu, Gajeel, and Wnedy look downright confused.

"Third question, why? Because you all have something in common. Besides the one here-" he gestures to me- "you all are worth something to us. He's only here because he knows too much." Yep. These are definitely the Destroyers she was talking about.

"Wait, what?" Wendy asks in confusion. I could tell her mind was spinning, trying to comprehend the madness about to unfold. "We're all Dragon Slayers, and if Gray's here just for that, then Nicole…"

Nicole stays silent. I can tell Wendy's figured it out. Natsu and Gajeel look as clueless as possible.

"I don't get it," Natsu says. I roll my eyes.

"Oh course you don't, Flame-brain. Now just shut up and listen."

"Where is everyone else?" Gargon murmurs. "Well, like other places, we would have simply blown up the town. But there are many powerful wizards that we will need help identifying. That's where you come in," he hisses, pointing at Nicole. "We can go back and track them down."

"For what purpose?" I asked. Shulfur grinned.

"We drain their magic power," he hissed. "And then they die. And Dragon Slayers are the best source of magic power."

"We're going to Tenrou Island," Marnolia cried, "Because Zeref is rumoured to still be alive, and if he is, that's where he'll be! We can drain his magic power and become the most powerful wizards alive!"

"ZEREF IS ALIVE?" We scream in unison.

"Impossible!" Gajeel says.

"Moving on to different matters," Gargon says. "We are using you for magic power. However, the ice-mage- not the girl- may be powerful, but he knows too much."

"Leave my friends alone," Nicole warns, stepping closer to me.

Gargon ignores her. "So, we have no use for him." This time, I see him pull out the knife.

And pull his arm back.

And throw the knife at my face.

Everything seems to happen in slow motion. The knife whistles towards me. I scream. I brace myself as I wait for death. _I'll see Ur again…_

_Good bye, Gramps… Juvia… Lucy… Natsu… Erza… Fairy Tail…_

_Nicole._

But no impact comes.

Nicole hands snaps out in front of my face, so fast I almost miss it. _Is she trying to take the knife in her own hand? She's insane! _But… even after a second passes, there's no blood. So what the hell happened?

Nicole's holding the knife.

How.

The.

Hell.

Did.

She.

Manage to grab it when it was going that fast?

However she did it, Gargon, Marnolia, and Shulfur look amazed. Fascinated. Scared, even. Nicole glares heavily at them. She continues to hold the knife where she caught it- one inch from my face.

One inch away from death. One inch away from never seeing Fairy Tail again…

"I said," Nicole says, her voice deathly quiet, "You are not messing with my friends. EVER!" She slams the knife into the ground and ice spikes pop out of the ground and travel quickly towards the trio. Shulfur, being smart, turns and runs. Gargon watches, paralyzed, as the ice hits him full-force and he is suspended in the ice. Marnolia screams, and Nicole grabs her wrist and pulls her away from the ice at the last second.

"What was that for?" Marnolia says, trying to sound brave, but Nicole simply drags her over to the chains and places Marnolia's hand on them. The chains break. I fall to the ground, rubbing my wrists.

Nicole hurls Marnolia into the wall with such force you can hear a crack. The red head slumps over, unconscious. "Gajeel, Natsu," she commands, "Get us out of here!"

"What… How…" I'm still struggling to form words.

"That was awesome!" Natsu cheers.

"I said," Nicole hisses, "Get us out of here!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Natsu panics, and faces the wall.

"IRON DRAGON…"

"FIRE DRAGON…"

"ROAR!" The two blow down the wall and I'm blinded by the bright light. We're parked at the island, about 10 feet up from the ground. I see the sand from the beach and the jungle ahead.

"Come on!" Nicole shouts. "Let's get out of here!" Wendy nods, recovering from the shock, and is followed by Gajeel and Natsu. Nicole's about to leap out too when I grab her wrist.

"Wait," I whisper. She turns, expression unreadable.

"Thanks for saving my life."

Her expression softens. "Yeah. Well. Don't mention it." She gives me a quick hug and leaps out of the prison. I follow.


	12. The Battle Begins

**Welcome, haters, followers, reviewers, favouriters, enemies, friends, and other random strangers, to chapter 12 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Yes, I do hope you enjoyed that last chapter. Nicole saved Gray :3 Awwwwwww that's so cute! I ship NiRay!**

**I started a new Fairy Tail story. Please read and review that too please!**

**Anyhow, after my little rant, here is the next chapter. Please review after!**

**~REVIEWS~**

**FairyTailLuver: Why, indeed I did *wiggles eyebrows***

**Iceberry2666: Thank you very much! I love Nalu to infinity and beyond! :D**

**WaterStar45: Yes, that may count as fluffiness :3 Cuz I LUV fluffiness :3**

_**Previously:**_

_Nicole hurls Marnolia into the wall with such force you can hear a crack. The red head slumps over, unconscious. "Gajeel, Natsu," she commands, "Get us out of here!"_

"_What… How…" I'm still struggling to form words._

"_That was awesome!" Natsu cheers._

"_I said," Nicole hisses, "Get us out of here!"_

"_Yes, ma'am!" Natsu panics, and faces the wall._

"_IRON DRAGON…"_

"_FIRE DRAGON…"_

"_ROAR!" The two blow down the wall and I'm blinded by the bright light. We're parked at the island, about 10 feet up from the ground. I see sand from the beach and the jungle ahead._

"_Come on!" Nicole shouts. "Let's get out of here!" Wendy nods, recovering from the shock, and is followed by Gajeel and Natsu. Nicole's about to leap out too when I grab her wrist._

"_Wait," I whisper. She turns, expression unreadable._

"_Thanks for saving my life."_

_Her expression softens. "Yeah. Well. Don't mention it." She gives me a quick hug and leaps out of the prison. I follow._

**Chapter 12: The Battle Begins**

**Gray's POV**

Still partially dazed, I follow Nicole, Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel out onto the beach. When the ship is finally out of sight, I collapse against a rock. Wendy drops to her knees, panting, and Gajeel and Natsu are bathing in the sand. Nicole's sitting down, cross-legged, staring at her feet.

"Nikki, that was awesome!" Natsu exclaims. "Ice Princess here almost died, and then your hand snapped out of nowhere, and the knife was in your hand, and you were awesome!"

"Save it, Natsu," she growls.

Natsu zips his lips. Nicole's stare rivals Erza's. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Hey," I say, "Are you okay? You're so… tense."

"I'm fine," she whispers.

"No," I argue, "You're not. Now, relax a bit."

"Oi! You two almost done your lover's spat?" Gajeel taps his foot impatiently against the stone.

"We're not lovers!" I snap, cheeks flaring. Nicole doesn't react. Gajeel stares at her, curiously.

"He's right. Get up. You're acting weird. I may not know much about you, but you're better than that." Nicole widens her eyes in surprise.

"Yeah… Sure." She staggers to her feet. Gajeel crosses his arms.

"Okay, now what's really going on here?" Gajeel asks, frustrated.

Nicole smiles weakly and turns to Wendy. "I think you've figured it out." Wendy nods shyly. Nicole grins. "Eh, can't keep it a secret anymore!" She turns to the other two. "If you two had at least half as much brains as she did, you'd have figured it out already! It doesn't take a genius!"

Wendy blushes. Natsu pouts. "Well," Nicole continues, "I'm an Ice Dragon Slayer."

"WHAT THE HELL!" Gajeel barks. Natsu grins from ear to ear.

"Cool! Now there's another one of us!" He turns to me. "Snowflake, did you know this already?"

"Yeah," I smirk. Natsu pouts again.

"No fair!" he whines.

"Shut up!" Nicole yells. "We've got a problem. The 6 will still come after us. We've got to get out of here."

"No, we can fight them!" comes Natsu's cheerful reply.

Nicole glares him down. "No, we can't."

"That's more like it," I say, grinning. Nicole raises one eyebrow, staring at me in confusion.

"It's nice to have the old Nicole back," I explain. "You're much more cheerful and relaxed this way." She blushes and grinned.

"Hey, I see something!" Wendy yells excitedly. She points out into the ocean. I see what she sees- a black ship hovering in the sky. I stare at it quizzically. What is that thing?

"Let's blow it up!" Natsu cheers. We all ignore him.

The flying hovercraft comes closer into view and I see a flag of some sorts with a guild mark on it.

Grimiore Heart.

"That's a dark guild!" Wendy cries. "Grimiore Heart!"

"Wait," Nicole says. "The Destroyers said Zeref was still alive, correct? Well, if we take their word for it, that means he's somewhere on this island. Hiding, maybe. He could be the reason Grimiore Heart's here- to find Zeref. They're a dark guild, after all."

"You may be right!" Wendy exclaims. "We should get out of here!"

"No," she whispers. We all stare at her, silently, confused. She smiles softly.

"Why?" Natsu asks.

"Because they're here," Nicole explains, pointing to the opposite side of the island. I stare between the trees and see a huge ship, crowded with people. A white flag is at the top of the ship. With a Fairy Tail emblem.

"We can't leave," Nicole repeats. "Because they're here too. We'll fight to defend our land. This is ours, after all. I may be new, but I understand what's it's like to be here. In Fairy Tail. I can't imagine life without it. We'll stay, and we'll fight. Now, let's go find them."

"RIGHT!" We all cry, laughing and running off in the direction of the ship.

*****SOON*****

"MASTER!" We holler and we reach the other side of the island. "FAIRY TAIL!"

I hear cries of joy and happiness, and a few splashes as some of our teammates jump over board to swim to the island. I see Juvia jump in the water and float among it to the island. Master, almost in tears, is steering the ship as fast as he can to the island. Erza is flying over in her armour, Lucy is swimming, Levy is swimming next to her, and Happy, Carla, and Panther Lily are flying over, Happy crying, the others with expressions of relief.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia explodes out of the water and hugs me tightly. "Juvia thought you were dead!"

"It's okay, Juvia," I say. "I'm fine." I gently push away as the others jump off the boat.

"Natsu! Nicole! Gray! Wendy!" Lucy throws herself into the arms of the first person there- which just so happens to me Natsu. I laugh at them, and they both break away, blushing.

"Of course, forget me," Gajeel grumbles. Lily wraps his tiny paws around Gajeel, and the Iron Dragon Slayer pats him on the head.

"Carla!" The sky maiden rushes to her exceed companion.

"That reminds me," I say, tapping Nicole on the shoulder. A smiling Ice Dragon Slayer turns around. "Shouldn't you have an exceed?" Nicole smiles disappears. "Agh, I really am a mood killer!"

"They got him," she says, pointing out to the direction she came. Of course, she means the Destroyers.

"Hey," I say awkwardly, "Let's go back to being happy, shall we?" She laughs.

"NATSUUUUUUUU!" Happy cries, burying her face into Natsu's muffler. "I MISSED YOU AS MUCH AS I LOVE FISH!"

"Awe, thanks, little buddy!" Natsu says, pulling Happy protectively to his chest.

After the long friendly greeting, Master Makarov approaches us. "Care to explain why my children were kidnapped?"

We tell him about the Destroyers. The entire guild gathers to listen. Nicole says Master knows what's up with her, so we leave that out. Natsu attempts to describe in full detail Nicole's heroic save-Gray's-life scene, but she blushes and slaps him. I pipe up and tell them she saved my life, but she slaps me too. We laugh, but then get onto more serious topics. Nicole tells them about the ship of Grimiore Heart, Zeref, and the conflicting problems between them all. Master explains that he knew where we were because he remained awake long enough to figure it out. I survey the area.

The following members are gathered: Erza, Lucy, Levy, Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, Jet, Droy, Alzack, Bisca, Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna, Gildarts, Macao, Wakaba, Juvia, Laki, Cana, Bickslow, Freed, and Evergreen. They are seem determined, frightened, and excited at the same time. If that's even possible.

"We can't leave," Makarov says. "We will protect the island of our first master. Come, my children! We will fight!" A cheer of assent rises from the guild members as we split into groups and run to the island's jungle.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia grabs my arm. "Come! Juvia will go with you!"

"I, uh, sure, Juvia!" I stutter. I see Nicole watching us out of the corner of my eye and feel slightly guilty. But she begins talking with Wendy and Lucy, and with one last glance at me, she heads off into the forest.

"Come on," I urge Juvia, "Let's go that way. We can travel with Lucy, Nicole, and Wendy for a bit. Strength in numbers, right?" Juvia pouts.

"If Gray-sama wants to, Juvia will as well." I smile gratefully at her and catch up to the trio of girls.

"Hey! Can we come with you guys?"

Nicole's face brightens. "Sure!"

"Let's go this way!" Natsu suggests, pointing towards the black ship.

"Natsu! When did you get here?" Lucy exclaims, shocked.

He shrugs. "Who else would I go with?" Lucy blushes faintly.

"Okay," Nicole agrees, "Let's go!"

And then we're off.

And then we were only half way through the jungle, Juvia, Lucy, Wendy, Natsu, Nicole, and I.

And then a blast of black flame bore down on us.

"Dive!" Wendy screams. Natsu only moves to push Lucy out of the way. Wendy jumps. Juvia runs. Nicole dives to my right somewhere as Natsu takes the impact head-on. "Natsu!" Wendy calls.

Natsu groans. "Ow… That's no ordinary flame. I thought I could eat it."

"You okay, Natsu?" Lucy asks. He nods.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Fairy dweebs." We look up to see a male with shaggy blond hair sitting on a tree branch. A black flame dances in his hand. He has a Grimiore Heart emblem on his chest, which is visible even with the robe he's wearing. "Fairies, just waiting for their wings to be plucked off."

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Natsu roars, lunging at the weird guy. The dude smirks and sidesteps, earning Natsu a face full of tree.

"Zancrow's the name. Fire God Slayer." He grins proudly.

"Fire God Slayer?" Nicole gawks. "I… I didn't know such people existed!"

"Why, just thought you pathetic Dragon Slayers were the top dogs?" Nicole winces at the statement, and prepares to lunge.

"Nikki, stay back." Natsu stands in front of her.

"Natsu?"

"He's mine. Keep going. I got this clown."

Zancrow raises his eyebrows. "Ooo, is pinky over here going to challenge me? Whatcha got?"

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu lunges again, and knock Zancrow out of his tree. He falls with a thump, but not before getting up again and wincing.

"Ooo, not bad. Fire Dragon against Fire God? We'll see who's superior," he smirks, facing Natsu.

"Let's go," I say, tugging on Juvia's arm. "He's got this."

"You can win this, Natsu!" Lucy calls before running off with the rest of them. Not a moment too soon, either. As soon as they're out of sight, a deafening boom echoes from where the two fire mages were. _They're quite the destructive ones, those fire ones._

**Elsewhere…**

**Normal POV**

Makarov stopped in front of the huge black ship towering in front of him. Summoning his magic, he grew to 10 times his size and placed his hands together. "COME ON OUT, PRECHT! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

A black-cloaked man stepped out onto the deck. "Ah, boy, it's been a while."

"You know I hate it when you call me that."

"Yes, I do."

"You have until the count of three to leave immediately," the master of Fairy Tail growled, a brilliant light beginning to glow in his hands.

The grey-haired man raised his eyebrows. "As we speak my best warriors are invading the island."

"1."

Precht sighed. "Do not call me Precht. I left that name long ago. I am Hades."

"2!"

"Very well, you leave me no choice." Hades summoned a ball of pure black energy into his hands.

"3!"

"Don't you recognize this, Makarov?"

The light in the Fairy Tail master's hand extinguished. "That can't be…"

_The opposite of Fairy Law…_

"Let's finish this!" The black light also vanished as Hades leapt down from his balcony to face Makarov head on.

**And still yet elsewhere…**

A young male with spiky blue hair strutted out onto the beach. With his hands in his pockets, he could have been mistaken for a strolling person, not interested in any sorts of trouble. He goes by the name Miko. As the man strolled along the beach, he soon came face to face with a silver-haired man from Grimiore Heart.

Rusty Rose.

The two men had an intense staring contest for a while. However, they didn't notice two figures from Fairy Tail watching the match from afar. Macao and Wakaba were hidden behind a large boulder, watching the scene unfold.

"Should we join in?" Wakaba asked.

Macao shook his head. "We better let them beat up each other. Easier for us." They both turned back to the two.

"So you're after Zeref?" Miko's voice came out dark and serious.

"Yes, and I realize you are an obstacle in my way," Rusty Rose confirms. "And obstacles need to be removed."

Macao and Wakaba watched intently as the two began to brawl.


	13. Battle of Zeref: Gramps is Down

**Voila, after a long wait, we have chapter 13 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Sorry for the wait. I can only update on weekends and I was very sick last weekend. Again, very sorry. So, here's the next update, where your questions may be answered!**

**~REVIEWS~ **

**IlluminatiLeaderTati: Yep XD If Gruvia was in this story… God I can't even think about it!**

**Iceberry2666: Juvia will not react kindly, I can promise you that :D**

**SashaMonroe: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy it!**

**WaterStar45: Questions will be answered in this chapter!**

**FairyTailLuver: Why, thank you XD**

_**Previously:**_

_A young male with spiky blue hair strutted out onto the beach. With his hands in his pockets, he could have been mistaken for a strolling person, not interested in any sorts of trouble. He goes by the name Miko. As the man strolled along the beach, he soon came face to face with a silver-haired man from Grimiore Heart._

_Rusty Rose._

_The two men had an intense staring contest for a while. However, they didn't notice two figures from Fairy Tail watching the match from afar. Macao and Wakaba were hidden behind a large boulder, watching the scene unfold._

"_Should we join in?" Wakaba asked. _

_Macao shook his head. "We better let them beat up each other. Easier for us." They both turned back to the two._

"_So you're after Zeref?" Miko's voice came out dark and serious._

"_Yes, and I realize you are an obstacle in my way," Rusty Rose confirms. "And obstacles need to be removed."_

_Macao and Wakaba watched intently as the two began to brawl._

**Chapter 13: Battle for Zeref: Part 1**

**Normal POV**

"I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU TO SHREDS!" A certain Fire Dragon Slayer roared as he lunged again. Zancrow laughed maniacally as he sidestepped yet again, slamming a fist of black fire onto Natsu's back. Natsu took a face-plant into the forest floor.

"You can't eat my fire," he laughed. "You should know a Fairy can't beat a member of the 7 Kin of Purgatory! The strongest, no less!"

"And do your other 'friends' admit you're the strongest?" Natsu hissed, swinging a foot around, catching the God Slayer in the side. The blond stumbled, but grinned.

"They won't admit it. Meredy just whines after Ultear, 'Oh, Ultear's the greatest!' But they all have to admit, I'm the best," he gloated.

"You'll also be the first to go down," Natsu yelled. "FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

The fire made a critical hit on Zancrow. Falling backward, the Fire God Slayer hit his head off a tree, temporarily stunning himself.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" The fire exploded from Natsu's mouth, enveloping the victim.

As the fire faded away, a bruised and tattered Zancrow emerged, grinning. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"What the…" Natsu trailed off as a black ball of flame cascaded around him, swallowing him whole.

"Try to eat your way out of this one," Zancrow cackled, energy swirling in his fist. The black energy sphere continued to grow in size, and you could still hear Natsu screaming from inside.

"Die, Dragon Slayer," Zancrow hissed as he added more power to the attack.

**Elsewhere…**

Water exploded from the beach side and enveloped Rusty Rose. The silver-haired mage chanted a spell, and a demon appeared, launching itself at Miko. Miko jumped to the side, his concentration gone, and the water around Rusty Rose vanished.

"So, a mage who can control the water," he murmured, his demon growling impatiently behind him. "This shall be interesting."

Miko merely grunted. "I'm Miko, part of the Six. The Six Destroyers. Whatcha got?"

"An imagination."

"What?"

The battle continued, both sides seemingly evenly matched. Macao and Wakaba watched on, terrified to move in case they were found out. But they now knew Rusty Rose was a mage who could create anything with his imagination, and Miko could summon water and control it as well. Miko was also part of the 6 Destroyers- the ones who kidnapped their Dragon Slayer friends, Nicole, and Gray.

What seemed like hours passed, and the battle came to an abrupt end in favour of Rusty Rose. Miko lay on the beach, unconscious and not getting up any time soon. Rusty Rose smirked in triumph before turning in the direction of his ship and leaving Macao, Wakaba, and Miko on the beach.

"That was… Insane," Macao breathed, unable to form words.

"How are we supposed to beat them?" Wakaba whispered. They, however, didn't know.

**And later still…**

A short, white-haired elderly man lay on his back in a crater. A tall man with a long, grey beard loomed over him. The short man was not moving.

"Too easy," Hades smirked, staring pitifully at Makarov. "Maybe I should just end his pathetic life now."

"Master!"

Hades turned in the direction of the voice, and out emerged Zancrow. "Yo. That was easier than I thought. Looks like you turned in the old geezer."

Hades raised his eyebrows. "Who did you dispose of?"

"The Fire Dragon. Natsu."

Hades smirked triumphantly. "Very good. Now, let's-"

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"

Natsu exploded out of the forest, a ball of fire in his right hand. He was bruised, beat up, and slashed, but he continued charging. The unique thing was that he had a black ball of Zancrow's fire in his left hand. Zancrow's eyes widened.

"What the-"

With a roar, Natsu created a huge explosion as soon as his hand hit the God Slayer's chest. Hades was lost in the explosion, still in partial shock. When the fire cleared, a starry eyed Zancrow lay back in the dirt, unconscious, Natsu panting heavily beside him.

"Well!" Natsu cried cheerfully. "Now that this bastard's taken care of, I…"

Then he saw Makarov.

"Gramps!" He lunged to the master's side. After a brief check, he knew Makarov was still breathing, but barely. He needed to get him to safety. "GRAMPS! Who did this to you?" But as Natsu glanced around frantically, Hades was gone.


	14. Battle of Zeref: Math Maniac?

**Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, humans and extraterrestrials, to Secrets Can Kill, chapter 14!**

**Wow, we've gotten pretty far already. I'm so proud XD I love you reviewers :3**

**I'm going to do a standings thingie. So you know who's out, who's not. I'm only naming the people who have either fought or been mentioned.**

**FAIRYTAIL:**

**Makarov, taken out by Hades.**

**Still active: The rest of Fairy Tail.**

**GRIMIORE HEART:**

**Zancrow, taken out by Natsu.**

**Still active: Rusty Rose, Hades, Ultear, Meredy, 4 unknown.**

**THE 6 DESTROYERS:**

**Miko, taken out by Rusty Rose.**

**Still active: Marnolia, Gargon, Shulfur, 2 unknown.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**FairyTailLuver: Thank you! I'm glad you review!**

**Iceberry2666: Yep! Thank you!**

**WaterStar45: I'm sorry you're confused, I'm trying my best to explain things. But I'm glad you're still enjoying the story!**

**SashaMonroe: Thank you very much! :D**

_**Previously:**_

_Hades raised his eyebrows. "Who did you dispose of?"_

"_The Fire Dragon. Natsu."_

_Hades smirked triumphantly. "Very good. Now, let's-"_

"_I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"_

_Natsu exploded out of the forest, a ball of fire in his right hand. He was bruised, beat up, and slashed, but he continued charging. The unique thing was that he had a black ball of Zancrow's fire in his left hand. Zancrow's eyes widened._

"_What the-"_

_With a roar, Natsu created a huge explosion as soon as his hand hit the God Slayer's chest. Hades was lost in the explosion, still in partial shock. When the fire cleared, a starry eyed Zancrow lay back in the dirt, unconscious, Natsu panting heavily beside him._

"_Well!" Natsu cried cheerfully. "Now that this bastard's taken care of, I…"_

_Then he saw Makarov._

"_Gramps!" He lunged to the master's side. After a brief check, he knew Makarov was still breathing, but barely. He needed to get him to safety. "GRAMPS! Who did this to you?" But as Natsu glanced around frantically, Hades was gone._

**Chapter 14: Battle for Zeref: Part 2**

**Gray's POV**

We ran away from the explosion caused by the Fire Dragon Slayer, heads ducked. We jumped over logs and bushes, and found ourselves by the river.

"Juvia suggests we walk in the river," the water mage claims, "so that we do not leave footprints."

"Good idea, Juvia!" Nicole exclaims. Juvia doesn't thank her, she simply glares at Nicole, like if she glares hard enough she'll disintegrate. Why? Oh, well. Who could ever understand girls?

We all hop in the water- which is only ankle deep- and walk in the stream. "Do you think Natsu-san is okay?" Wendy asks.

"He'll be fine," I say with a grin. "Nobody can take down Natsu!" Wendy smiles back at me.

"Yeah! Yeah, you're right!" She continues walking alongside us, spirits lifted.

"Anyone got a plan?" Lucy asks worriedly.

"Well," Nicole begins, "We're heading to the ship. Considering our current speed, we'll be there in 20 minutes. I'm not sure what would happen if we had delays. If the current fights against us, we'll be there in 26 minutes, or, 28. It depends whether we slow our pace or not."

"We speak the same language, but you're making no sense!" Lucy cries. I feel the same way.

"Waittttt a second," I say. i think I've figured it out. "Nicole, what's 14 x 19?"

"266," she says without missing a beat.

"How about 3399 divided by 33?"

"Stop lobbing the easy ones," she scoffs. "It's 1003."

We all stop and stare at her. She turns back to us. "Okay, now we're going to take even longer. Why are you guys staring at me like that?"

"You're weird," Lucy and I say in unison. Her face reddens.

"Not my fault!" She cries. "I'm just… smart."

"You're a genius!" Wendy says in awe.

"How about 77 x 9 + 39 - 98?" Juvia asks cautiously, naming off random numbers.

Nicole rolls her eyes. "634."

Wendy's eyes widen. "You're a genius," she repeats. "You could give Levy a run for her money!"

"Don't let her here you say that!" I say, laughing.

"It's just with math," she says quietly, blushing. God damn it! She looks so cute when she blushes!

Wait, what did I just think?

"I can do math equations, calculations, or anything like that," she continues. "Nothing special."

"Hey, that's helpful, and really cool!" Lucy exclaims.

"Thanks," she says, grinning.

Then the sword nearly slices my head off.

If it wasn't for Juvia shoving me out of the way, a sword would have impaled my head. "Thanks, Juvia," I gasp, sitting up and staring at the attacker.

It's a girl.

Or, more specifically, it's a girl with short pink hair and a weird sort of headband. She has a robe on, and I know immediately she's from Grimiore Heart. She looks at each one of us in turn.

"Oh, look, what a turn out," she says, almost robotically. "And number 1 is here."

"What?" Lucy asks in confusion. "You're creeping me out!"

The girl narrows her eyes at Lucy. "Oh, number 15. I have no use for you."

"Whatttt?…." Lucy trails off in confusion.

"I'm Meredy," says the girl. "And I have two missions. One is to find Zeref. The other is to eliminate every fairy on this island. Especially number one."

"Wait, are you ranking us?" Nicole asks in disbelief. "You're crazy!"

Meredy looks over at the Ice Dragon Slayer. "You. Nicole Emereon. Not much is known about you. Apparently, you use ice magic- but what kind is unknown- and somehow, you are known to be fierce, feisty, stubborn, and very strong."

Nicole raises her eyebrows. "Thanks?…"

"You should be grateful you're so high on my list," Meredy states robotically. "You're number 7."

"Who's number one?" Nicole asks. Meredy's eyes flare.

"Him." And she points at me. I look behind me, to make sure she's not pointing at anyone else, but it's me.

"What?" I cry.

"What's so important about Gray that ranks him over the rest of our guild?" Juvia cries.

"Ultear wants him dead!" Meredy cries, a string of magical swords appearing around her. "Therefore, I will kill him, for Ultear's sake!

"You master, Makarov, is number 2," she seethes, "But our master took care of him. Gildarts is number 3. Erza Scarlet is 4. You-" she points at Wendy- "are lucky to be number 9!" She points to Juvia. "And you're number 14. Now, leave this number 1."

"No," Nicole says, stepping closer to me. "We're not letting you touch him."

"None of us will," Juvia says, stepping closer to me, eyeing Nicole carefully.

"How come I'm the lowest of the group?" Lucy whines, but she steps towards us anyways.

"Guys, let me handle this," I say. If anyone's going to fight this lunatic, it better be me. "I-"

"No." Juvia steps forward. "Juvia will."

"You sure, Juvia?" Nicole asks. Juvia nods.

"Gray-sama will not be touched by anyone on Juvia's watch," she snarls. "You get out of here. She doesn't want anyone of you. She only wants Gray-sama. Get out of here, and let Juvia handle it!"

"Thanks, Juvia," I say quickly.

"Anything for you, Gray-sama," she promises.

We leave Juvia to fend for herself against Meredy.

"Come back!" The pinkette snarls. "I am not interested in you!" As she sends forward a barrage of swords, Juvia screams a spell, and water from the river explodes in front of her, the swords disappearing.

"You want him, you'll have to defeat Juvia," the rain woman says. That's the last I hear before I run off with Nicole, Lucy, and Wendy.

**AND SO…**

**Normal POV**

"Juvia will defeat you!" the rain woman promises as a water geyser shoots at Meredy. The nimble girl ducks to the side, only narrowly avoiding Juvia's attack.

"You're number 14," Meredy snarls. "I'll defeat you easily!" Meredy summons a barrage of swords that speed towards Juvia. However, Juvia doesn't move.

"Juvia's body is made of water," the water mage explains. "Therefore your attack will never hurt-" Juvia gasped in pain as a sword pierced her shoulder. "What?"

"These swords are magic," the pinkette says. "Underestimate me for a second and you're as good as dead!"

"Water Slicer!" Juvia screams, water exploding towards Meredy. Meredy falls back, hissing. _She's number 14! She could never defeat me! Where's she getting all this sudden power? _Juvia attacked and attacked, showing no mercy for the girl. _Her emotions give her power… Her feelings towards Gray, to be precise. _Looking thoughtful, the Grimiore Heart girl decides to try a new strategy.

"You love that one, don't you?" Meredy whispers. Juvia looks up, startled. "Gray Fullbuster. You love him, don't you?"

"With all of Juvia's heart," the bluenette promises.

"Good," Meredy says. "Picture him in your mind." Juvia continued watching the girl, not comprehending the situation.

"THERE!" A beam of pink light sailed out of Meredy's hand and hit Juvia. Juvia looks up at Meredy, puzzled. The attack didn't hurt at all. But on Juvia's wrist, there was a pink wrist band branded into the skin, with a heart on it.

"Your emotions are now connected to this Gray Fullbuster you love," Meredy snarled.

"Oh! Oh my gosh! I'm connected to Gray-sama!" Juvia squealed in happiness. "Gray-sama and I will always be together!"

"He feels your emotions, and your pain!" Meredy screams. A sword hit Juvia's side, causing the girl to cry out in pain and sink down into the river.

**BACK TO GRAY AND COMPANY…**

**Gray's POV**

Lucy, Nicole, Wendy, and I kept running. We trekked through the forest, unsure of what to do. Searching for other enemies, I guess. Then a pink light exploded from the tree tops and latched itself onto me.

"What's this?" I cry in protest, eyeing the pink band carefully. It didn't hurt at all.

Lucy shrugs. "I don't know. Nicole, you just proved you're super smart. What is it?"

Nicole sighed in protest. "I don't know everything!" she growled.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain erupted in my side and I went down, cursing. "Gray!" The three girls cried, squatting down next to me.

"I'm… Okay…" I pant. "What the hell was that?" Looking down at my side, there's no blood or scar or anything. There was nothing around us that could have caused that attack either.

Wendy carefully inspects the pink-hearted band. "I don't know what this is. I can't do anything, because that band itself isn't causing any pain. I think it's allowing you to feel pain, though. I can't explain it. But I think that's what it's for." She sighs. "Sorry!"

"It's fine, Wendy," I say, wincing. "I'll be…" I gasp again as my foot begins to burn. Something has stabbed my foot. But looking down, there's nothing there. I hiss through clenched teeth. Gah, it really hurts!

"I don't know what it is," Nicole says frustratedly. She hates not knowing something- or anything at all. "We should try to keep moving, or find the camp and get Gray some help."

"I'm fine," I insist. Nicole, Wendy, and Lucy still insist on half-carrying me. Geez. I'll never understand girls.

**AND STILL YET ELSEWHERE…**

**Normal POV**

"I finally found you," the female said quietly, panting from her recent barrage of attacks. "You are definitely not what I expected."

A black-haired male lay slumped on the forest floor. The female had just knocked him out. "I'm surprised," the lady mused, "That you didn't fight back. You are the Lord of the Dead, after all." She pulled the man's arm over her shoulder and began trudging down the path. "Time to get you back to Hades."

Ultear Milkovich smiled at the unconscious black wizard. "I still can't believe I finally found you."

Ultear had found Zeref. Now she had to get him to Hades as soon as possible.


	15. Battle of Zeref: Capricorn

**ANDDDDDDDD…. HERE IS CHAPTER 15 FOR SECRETS CAN KILL!**

**Hello, guys! Miss me? I missed you guys! But now, I can get on with the chapter. So… Without further ado, let me get on with this chapter!**

**FAIRY TAIL:**

**Makarov, taken out by Hades.**

**Juvia currently fighting Meredy.**

**Still active: The rest of Fairy Tail.**

**GRIMIORE HEART:**

**Zancrow, taken out by Natsu.**

**Meredy currently fighting Juvia.**

**Ultear has found Zeref.**

**Still active: Rusty Rose, Hades, 4 unknown.**

**THE 6 DESTROYERS:**

**Miko, taken out by Rusty Rose.**

**Still active: Marnolia, Gargon, Shulfur, 2 unknown.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**FairyTailLuver: Thank you!**

**Iceberry2666: Ha ha, cooL! What a coincidence!**

**WaterStar45: Good, I'm glad you're not confused. Thank you very much! I'm highly, highly considering a Fairy Tail Academy story. **

**IlluminatiLeaderTati: Nope, I'm too evil :3**

**SashaMonroe: Thank you!**

_**Previously:**_

"_I finally found you," the female said quietly, panting from her recent barrage of attacks. "You are definitely not what I expected."_

_A black-haired male lay slumped on the forest floor. The female had just knocked him out. "I'm surprised," the lady mused, "That you didn't fight back. You are the Lord of the Dead, after all." She pulled the man's arm over her shoulder and began trudging down the path. "Time to get you back to Hades."_

_Ultear Milkovich smiled at the unconscious black wizard. "I still can't believe I finally found you."_

_Ultear had found Zeref. Now she had to get him to Hades as soon as possible._

**Chapter 15: Battle for Zeref: Part 3**

**Nicole's POV**

I never thought I'd see myself being beaten by a goat.

Okay, back up. Yes, I'm fighting a goat. Yes, we're losing. Badly. The goat stands on two feet, wears a weird pair of shades, and claims to be part of the 7 kin of Purgatory. Talk about weird. I think I've had enough weirdness for one day.

Somehow, this goat isn't affected by any of our attacks. He either jumps out of the way, or takes the blow, and it still doesn't affect him.

"Okay, this guy is frustrating me," Gray grumbled. It's hard for him, because that pink band hasn't vanished, and every other minute he's collapsing from a new kind of pain. We don't know what to do about it.

I'm worried about Juvia, too. I hope she's doing okay. But right now, I have to concentrate.

"Move!" Wendy summons a shield out of air before the blast can hit my face.

"Thanks, Wendy!" I call before launching my 17th knife of ice at the goat. He simply jumps out of the way.

"What is with this guy?" I snap, stomping my foot in frustration.

"Open! Gate of the Lion, Leo!" A tall guy with spiky orange hair and a black suit appears. He's wearing glasses as well, and seems incredibly focused on the goat.

Until he sees me.

"And who is this young beauty?" he asks, kneeling down in front of me.

"Um…" I stutter, taking a small step back.

"Loke! We need to concentrate!" Lucy snaps. "Leave Nicole alone!"

"So you're new?" he asks. I nod. "Well then, Nicole. I'm Loke, or Leo the Lion. I'm also Lucy's love."

"You are NOT!" Lucy protests.

"Loke, concentrate," Gray scowls, cringing as he holds his foot. "Let's kill this guy!"

Loke stares Gray down weirdly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Gray says, gritting his teeth. "Just hurry up!"

Loke stares back at the goat. A flash of recognition shines in his eyes. "You!"

"You know him, Loke?" Wendy asks.

"He's… A celestial spirit," he explains. "Capricorn, the sea-goat."

"What?" We gasp.

"He's using a magic that prevents your attacks from touching him," the lion says. "But it doesn't affect me, since I'm a spirit." Loke lunges at Capricorn, who leaps away from Loke's glowing fist, somewhat startled.

"I thought you were living in the human world, Leo," the goat rasps.

Loke narrows his eyes. "I've got a master I'm happy to serve. That's all that matters."

He turned back to all of us. "Get out of here. I've got this."

"What?" Gray explodes. "You can't do this on your own!"

"None of your attacks will work," Loke says in frustration. "Leave him to me!"

"Come on," I says, tugging the ice mage's arm. "We'll only get in his way." Gray sighs, defeated, and forces himself to follow me and Wendy. Lucy turns around for a moment longer.

"Promise me you'll come back!" She shouts. "Promise me that, Loke! Promise!"

Loke smiles. "I promise."

Lucy turns her head and runs off. I know this must be hard for her. Gray, Wendy, and I follow.

**Normal POV**

"How long have you been in the mortal world?" Loke snarled as his fist glowed. He threw his arm at Capricorn, but the goat ducked to the other side.

"19 years."

"What? How could you survive that long? I barely lasted 3 years!"

"I have my ways," the goat laughed. "I never knew you'd stoop so low to obey a human. Was it the blonde one?"

"Wait…" the puzzle pieces inside Loke's mind clicked together. Capricorn's face paled as he realized Loke had figured it out.

"Were you Layla Heartfilia's key?"

**And yet elsewhere…**

"If I kill you, I'll be able to kill him to!" Meredy shouted triumphantly. She launched another attack at Juvia, who screamed in pain as her foot was hit. "I can, and I will, kill you!"

"You will never kill Juvia!" the rain woman screeched as she dodged Meredy's next attack and launched her own. Meredy hit her back against a tree and slumped to the ground. "Juvia will not allow you to hurt her if Gray will feel the same!"

"Fine then," Meredy hissed. In a glow of pink light, a wristband identical to Juvia's and Gray's appeared on Meredy's wrist. Juvia's eyes widened.

"We're all connected now," the pinkette continued. "For Ultear's sake, I will kill myself, bringing you two down with me!"

"No!" Juvia cried, surging towards the girl. Meredy placed a hand on her heart.

"Good bye, Ultear," she whispered.

Juvia clenched her teeth. _Gray-sama, please forgive me… _

Juvia hurled her fist into her own leg, screaming as the pain filled her leg. Meredy shrieked, clutching her leg, and collapsed. Juvia staggered over to her.

"You have love in your life!" she insisted. "So you must keep living! Juvia lives for the ones she loves, and you must do the same!" Juvia embraced a very surprised Meredy. "Please!"

Meredy began to silently sob. The two girls hugged each other, and fell down in a sobbing mess. The pink band faded from Meredy's wrist, as well as Juvia. You could say the match ended in a draw.

**Back to Nicole and company…**

**Nicole's POV**

"Ahhhhh!" Gray collapsed, grasping his leg tightly.

"Gray!" All 3 of us surged towards him. Wendy placed her hands over his leg, trying to fix the pain.

"I don't know what it is!" Gray hissed through clenched teeth. "But it kills!"

"Hang in there," I said desperately. Wendy focused on his leg, Lucy watched in concern. Then the pain must have subsided, because Gray visibly relaxed. He stood up, shook his leg out to make sure it was feeling okay, and grinned at Wendy.

"I don't know what you did, but it worked."

Wendy looked confused. "I didn't do anything." She glanced at Gray's wrist. "Oh! The band is gone!"

Gray looked down in confusion. "I wonder what that was."

"Let's keep moving," I urged. "You're fine, right Gray?"

"I'm perfectly fine!" he said happily, bounding off through the trees.

"Wait up!" We call, running after the ice-make mage.

**Back to the Fairy Tail ship….**

**Normal POV**

"We can set up camp here," Mira said firmly, rolling out a tarp. "People are going to get hurt, so we need to do our best to help them."

"That's my sis!" Elfman said, pumping his fist in the air. "She's a real man!"

Mirajane sighed and shook her head, grinning. Lisanna smiled. "Elf-nii, Mira-nee's a girl!"

"Let's just set up the tent," the white-haired eldest Strauss sibling commanded. Her siblings quickly and efficiently helped set up a tent-like structure for the wounded. Lisanna placed down a small table and put the medicine bottles she had collected on top. Mirajane stared at the ship. "I'm going to get some blankets and pillows and things to keep out friends comfortable!" The white=haired beauty pranced back to the ship.

"Hurry back, Mira-nee!" her younger sister called.

"Hey…" Elfman stared at the ground, a worried expression on his face. "The ground's rumbling…"

The white-haired male Strauss leapt backwards as a tree sprouted up from the ground. An evil cackle sounded from the top of the tree as a storm of leaves flew through the wind and engulfed Elfman. Elfman roared in protest. Lisanna turned into her Animal Soul: Bird and attempted to fly up into the tree, but was knocked aside by a moving tree branch.

"Elf-nii!" The youngest Strauss screeched as she rolled onto the beach, coughing.

"Lisanna!" Elfman changed his right arm into a stone arm, and attempted to cut through the leaves, but the plants kept lashing out at him. Elfman cringed. "Beast Soul: Lizard Man!" Although Lisanna couldn't see him, Elfman had gone high on defence, and soon the leaves were proven harmless against his solid shell. The leaves fell to the ground, useless, and Elfman returned to his normal form.

A red-head stepped out into the open. Marnolia. She laughed. "Is this really how pathetic Fairy Tail wizards are? And here I thought we could get some power!"

"I'll show you how a real man fights!" Elfman roared, his arm turning into that of a beast's. He swung at Marnolia, but a tree sprouted in front of him, causing him to duck to the side.

"I'm Marnolia," the lady chuckled. "One of the 6 Destroyers. I specialize in plant magic. You'll have to do better than that!"

**And STILL yet elsewhere…**

"Move!" Jet knocked Droy aside, narrowly avoiding the rumbling earth.

"Solid Script: Fire!" A spout of fire flew from Levy's direction to their opponent. A rock wall materialized in front of him, and the attack had no effect.

"What is up with this guy?" Droy cried, throwing a barrage of seeds. The seeds sprouted, and the mysterious man they were facing rose up on a block of rock, far away from Droy's attack.

"I'm Zargo!" The man announced. "As part of the 6 Destroyers, I am so super powerful, and I use Earth magic. You'll have to do better than that to defeat me!" He raised his hands, and a volley of rocks appeared and shot themselves towards Levy.

"Get down!" Levy was thrown to the ground and narrowly missed the attack. She looked up to see her saviour.

"Gajeel?"

"Luckily, they've got better than that," the Iron Dragon Slayer snarled at Zargo. "Whatcha got? I'm in the mood for a good fight."


	16. Battle of Zeref: Lucky the Exceed

**Chapter 16 for Secrets Can Kill is here!**

**Hello minna! I'm going through this speak-Japanese-all-the-fricking-time thing. So, for future reference, here are a few translations.**

**Minna- Everyone**

**Arigato- Thank you**

**Ohayo- Good morning**

**Gomen- Sorry**

**Nani- What**

**Thank you, because being wonderful hopefully you'll understand what I'm going through. Arigato! **

**FAIRY TAIL:**

**Makarov, taken out by Hades.**

**Juvia, exhausted and injured.**

**Loke currently fighting Capricorn.**

**Gajeel, Levy, Jet, Droy currently fighting Zargo.**

**Lisanna, Elfman currently fighting Marnolia.**

**Still active: Erza, Lucy, Gray, Nicole, Wendy, Mirajane, Wakaba, Macao, Laki, Gildarts, Cana, Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, Alzack, Bisca, Bickslow, Evergreen, Freed.**

**GRIMIORE HEART:**

**Zancrow, taken out by Natsu.**

**Meredy, exhausted and injured.**

**Ultear has found Zeref.**

**Capricorn currently fighting Loke.**

**Still active: Rusty Rose, Hades, 3 unknown.**

**THE 6 DESTROYERS: **

**Miko, taken out by Rusty Rose.**

**Marnolia currently fighting Lisanna and Elfman.**

**Zargo currently fighting Jet, Droy, Levy, and Gajeel.**

**Still active: Shulfur, Gargon, 1 unknown.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**FairyTailLuver: Thank you!**

**WaterStar45: I ABSOLUTELY ADORE GAJEVY IT IS MY OTP I LOVE IT TO DEATH!**

**Iceberry2666: Lol. He does say that a lot, doesn't he :3 Thanks!**

**SashaMonroe: Thank you!**

_**Previously:**_

"_Move!" Jet knocked Droy aside, narrowly avoiding the rumbling earth._

"_Solid Script: Fire!" A spout of fire flew from Levy's direction to their opponent. A rock wall materialized in front of him, and the attack had no effect._

"_What is up with this guy?" Droy cried, throwing a barrage of seeds. The seeds sprouted, and the mysterious man they were facing rose up on a block of rock, far away from Droy's attack._

"_I'm Zargo!" The man announced. "As part of the 6 Destroyers, I am so super powerful, and I use Earth magic. You'll have to do better than that to defeat me!" He raised his hands, and a volley of rocks appeared and shot themselves towards Levy._

"_Get down!" Levy was thrown to the ground and narrowly missed the attack. She looked up to see her saviour._

"_Gajeel?"_

"_Luckily, they've got better than that," the Iron Dragon Slayer snarled at Zargo. "Whatcha got? I'm in the mood for a fight."_

**Chapter 16: Battle For Zeref: Part 4**

**Normal POV**

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckkkkkkkkkk…" Gajeel grumbled. "What the hell is up with this guy?"

Normally, our favourite bluenette bookworm would have scolded him for his language. But now was not the time. Zargo, the creepy dude from the Destroyers was taunting them. Gajeel got one solid hit in, but that hardly fazed him. Jet was exhausted, Droy was losing magic power, Levy had too many cuts to count, and Gajeel could barely keep up with their opponent. It was hard when he constantly had to protect Levy, Jet, and Droy.

"Jet, Droy," Levy called, as if reading his mind, "Go get help. Or find someone else."

"But Levy-chan!" Droy protested. "We need to protect you!"

"You're just getting in Gajeel's way," Levy snapped. "Go!"

As the two boys ran off (not without protesting on the way) Gajeel glanced back at Levy. "You should go with them."

"I can protect myself!" The tiny girl said forcefully. Gajeel chuckled inwardly. It was hard to take her seriously when she looked so adorable.

"Like you said, you'll get in my way," the Iron Dragon Slayer scowled. "Go!"

"I'm not leaving!" Levy insisted.

"How many times do I have to tell you, go!" Gajeel hissed, eyes pained. Levy saw the stubbornness in his eyes. Gaze softening, she turned, on the verge of tears, and ran.

But she left a souvenir.

"Solid Script: Iron!"

A block of iron appeared in front of Gajeel. Levy turned and didn't look back as she ran. Gajeel watched her go, grinning.

"Thanks, Shrimp." And he began to chow down.

**On the other side of the island…**

Lucy, Wendy, Gray, and Nicole continued trekking through the forest, searching for any sign of the 6 Destroyers or Grimiore Heart.

"So…" Gray remarked. "We now know you're a math genius, Nicole. What other secrets do you have?"

"A lot," she muttered under her breath.

"It's cool how you can do that, Nicole-san," Wendy said politely.

"Oh, drop the honourifics, Wendy," Nicole laughed. "Just call me Nicole."

"Okay, Nicole-s… I mean, Nicole!"

"Thanks, Wendy!"

"Isn't Carla with you?" Lucy asked.

Wendy frowned. "She was going to, but then she said something about keeping the tom-cat out of trouble."

Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Do those two have issues?"

**Carla and Happy?**

"FISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the blue tom-cat dove towards the river.

"Happy, no!" Panther Lily called, zooming after him.

Happy hit the water with a splash and emerged empty pawed. "Awe, he got away."

Carla sighed. "Yes, and the same thing happened to the other 18 fish you tried to get." _Good lord, why did I come along? I do hope Wendy's alright…_

**Someone should have told Nicole that by now…**

"More than you'll ever know," Lucy grumbled. Nicole grinned.

"Oh, I get it now," she laughed. Suddenly, a golden light formed around Lucy's key pouch.

"Lucy-san!" Wendy rushed over, but Lucy was grinning.

"Loke won. In more ways than one." She held up her glowing gold key of Leo the Lion, and then another one. I narrowed my eyes at it.

"…Capricorn the Sea Goat?"

"I knew Loke could do it," Gray exclaimed, grinning. We continued on, spirits lifted (no pun intended).

"Did you have an exceed, Nicole?" Wendy asked.

"What?" Lucy asked in confusion. Wendy clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Ah, crap," Nicole hissed. Gray grimaced, staring at a confused Lucy.

"I'm so, so, so sorry, Nicole-san!" Wendy wailed. "I knew you wanted it kept a secret! I should have-"

"It's okay, Wendy," Nicole said soothingly. "She's one of my best friends. She should know."

"What are you guys talking about?" Lucy complained.

"I'm… Kind of an Ice Dragon Slayer?…" Nicole stammered, saying it almost like a question. Lucy's jaw hit the floor.

"WHAT?"

As Nicole explained her story, Wendy listened in, considering she hadn't heard the story either. Gray listened, wondering if she'd keep anything secret. But she didn't. He was actually slightly surprised- it was hard for her to open up about anything before, now, it seemed the slightest bit easier.

"If you don't mind," Wendy piped up, "I'd still like to know what happened to your exceed."

Nicole clenched her jaw. Touchy subject. Gray looked at her expectantly, considering he asked the same question earlier. The Ice Dragon Slayer thought for a moment. "Lucky was the name of my exceed," she began. "He- yes, he was a boy- was the most optimistic being I've ever met. When my dragon left me, I found him in an egg about a week later. I thought it was a dragon's egg- and since Marol just left, I figured I should see what it was. Sure enough, it hatched later. Lucky was a light green exceed, with a small black scar just above one eye. He had wide, bright eyes, and I don't think he ever stopped smiling. Lucky had a white belly, and always wore a small white jacket. But when the Destroyers started chasing me, he helped me escaped. Then… one day, we were escaping, and they shot him down. We were flying and were almost out of range when he fell. He hit the ground, and… they shot him again." Her voice cracked. "But he was still smiling when he died. His last words were that he was happy he spent time with me…"

Nicole wiped a tear from her face. "I called him Lucky because he was my first friend after Marol left. And I'll never forget him."

Wendy rubbed her eyes. "That was so sad!"

"Wow…" Gray said, shocked. "No wonder you didn't want to talk about him earlier."

"Is that why your favourite colour is green?" Lucy asked.

Nicole gave here a watery smile. "Yeah. Guess so."

"You've got quite the memory."

The four spun around to where a tall female was standing. She had long black hair and an evil smirk on her face. "But do you remember me?"

"Yes," Nicole scowled. "You're the girl in the woods I met when I was young!"

"Yes," the lady snarled. "And you nearly killed me."

"I didn't mean to push you off the cliff!" Nicole snapped. "At least we fell in the snow!"

"No, but when we fell, you squeaked, 'Sorry!' and ran." The lady placed her hands firmly on her hips. "That's bad enough."

"Why…" Gray trailed off, eyes wide with shock. The lady turned to him.

"Maybe an explanation is in order. I'm Ultear, of Grimiore Heart. The strongest of the Seven Kin."

"Why do you look so much like Ur?" Gray blurted out.

"Maybe it's because I'm her daughter," Ultear snapped.

"Impossible," Gray said. "She's dead."

"Well," Ultear said, "I'm obviously not. My pathetic mother tossed me out to dry."

"Leave her to me," Gray snarled. Nicole was actually shocked by the hate and anger in his eyes.

"Come on," Lucy whispered. "Let's go." Nicole nodded, tore her eyes from the two, and bolted after the celestial mage and the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Ur said you died!" Gray called, ice energy swirling in his palm.

"She abandoned me, and then replaced me with two boys," Ultear snarled. "Obviously you're one of them. Her magic is useless. I've learned something much better."

"I'll defeat you with Ur's magic," Gray hissed. "That's a promise."

**Back at Fairy Tail's base camp…**

"I said, you will never hurt my siblings!" The devil floated down from the sky, black energy floating in her hand. Lisanna attempted to haul Elfman to his feet, but stumbled under the weight. They had almost been killed by Marnolia, but their sister had arrived just in time. And boy, was she mad.

Marnolia scrambled backwards. "No, I'll leave-"

"Not so high 'n' mighty now, are you?" Mirajane swiped at the red-head with claws, who screamed and collapsed. Mira picked her up and flung her into the trees, gone from their sight.

As the take-over mage turned back to her original form, Lisanna tugged Elfman over. "I knew you could do it, Mira-nee!"

"Lisanna! Elfman!" The three Strauss siblings collapsed in a hug.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you," Mira promised. "I lost you once, I can't lose you again."

**Elsewhere…**

"Die! Die! Die!"

Bickslow's babies chimed together as together as the shot yet another energy blast at Gargon. Gargon leapt out of the way, and swung his knife. The tools floated out of the way in time.

"Go, my babies!" Bickslow howled.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"This man is very exhausting," Freed panted, sword falling by his side.

"He's annoying, if anything," Evergreen complained. "Why does he have to have a pair of shades on him?" She tilted her glasses back onto her face. "Now my eyes have no effect on him."

As Freed busied Gargon with an intense sword-on-knife fight, Bickslow collapsed against a tree. "I don't know if my babies and I can go on any longer."

"Longer. Longer. Longer."

"We've got to keep trying!" Evergreen insisted. "After all, we're Fairy Tail!"

"Right!" The two charged back into battle.

**Back to Gajeel…**

"Dammit!" Gajeel's iron club narrowly missed Zargo yet again. This had been getting him nowhere.

"Need a hand?" Natsu emerged from the trees. Gajeel looked over in surprise. "Gramps is injured. Jet's bringing him back to camp, and you look like you're going to die."

"Am not!" Gajeel scowled. "I thought we promised working together was a one time thing."

"Trust me," Natsu grinned. "I'll work by myself. You'll have to keep up with me!"

"You'll be the one keeping up with me!" Gajeel howled.

"I'm fired up now," Natsu grinned as he lunged at a very bemused Zargo.


	17. Battle of Zeref: Dragons Bonding

**And voila, we have the… Hmm… Lemme check… chapter seventeen? Wow! I didn't realize we'd gotten so far! Chapter 17 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Thanks you guys. I love you all :3 Thank you for following, favouriting, and leaving reviews. I love the reviews- even a simple 'good job' makes my day. Love you guys! **

**FAIRY TAIL:**

**Makarov, taken out by Hades.**

**Juvia, Lisanna, and Elfman exhausted and injured.**

**The Thunder God Tribe currently fighting Gargon.**

**Gajeel and Natsu currently fighting Zargo.**

**Gray currently fighting Ultear.**

**Still active: Erza, Lucy, Nicole, Wendy, Wakaba, Mirajane, Macao, Laki, Gildarts, Happy, Carla, Cana, Panther Lily, Alzack, Bisca, Jet, Droy, and Levy.**

**GRIMIORE HEART:**

**Zancrow, taken out by Natsu.**

**Capricorn, taken out by Loke.**

**Meredy, exhausted and injured.**

**Ultear has found Zeref and engaged in battle with Gray.**

**Still active: Rusty Rose, Hades, 3 unknown.**

**THE 6 DESTROYERS:**

**Miko, taken out by Rusty Rose.**

**Marnolia, taken out by Mirajane.**

**Zargo, currently fighting Natsu and Gajeel.**

**Gargon, currently fighting the Thunder God Tribe.**

**Still active: Shulfur, 1 unknown.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: Ha ha! Already thought of one! NiRay! EEEEE THAT'S SO CUTEEEEEE! It was either that or Gricole, and that doesn't sound very good…**

**FairyTailLuver: Thank you so much!**

**Halobeast: Thanks! Gildarts will show up soon!**

**Iceberry2666: I KNOW RIGHT I love that line! **

**SashaMonroe: Thank you!**

**Previo**_**usly:**_

"_Dammit!" Gajeel's iron club narrowly missed Zargo yet again. This had been getting him nowhere._

"_Need a hand?" Natsu emerged from the trees. Gajeel looked over in surprise. "Gramps is injured. Jet's bringing him back to camp, and you look like you're going to die."_

"_And not!" Gajeel scowled. "I thought we promised working together was a one time thing."_

"_Trust me," Natsu grinned. "I'll work by myself. You'll have to keep up with me!"_

"_You'll be the one keeping up with me!" Gajeel howled._

"_I'm fired up now," Natsu grinned as he lunged at a very bemused Zargo._

**Chapter 17: Battle For Zeref: Part 5**

**Normal POV**

"Guys," Lucy said worriedly, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too," Wendy whimpered quietly, leaves crunching under her feet as she walked.

"We'll be okay," Nicole said optimistically. "Gray will be fine. Everyone else too. We'll be fine-"

A huge explosion erupted from down by the beach. The blast from the explosion nearly knocked Wendy off her feet. The wind blew all the leaves behind them as they stared across the island.

Simultaneously, the three said, "Natsu."

"Let's go," Nicole suggested. "If he's there, he fight be able to give us some information."

"Okay!" Wendy agreed, trotting off after the Ice Dragon Slayer.

The group jogged quickly. They hopped over branches, and with the exception of Wendy they ducked under a few. They found the stream nearby, with Juvia and Meredy nowhere in sight. Worried, they continued. And then they stopped.

"Hey," Wendy asked. "Where's Lucy?"

**(0.0)**

**(. .)**

"GAHHHHHH!"

"Freed! No!"

"Freed! Freed! Freed!"

"FAIRY GLITTER!"

The trio were exhausted. Because Evergreen's eyes had no effect on their opponent, she was having trouble keeping up with her attacks. Bickslow was having trouble finding new bodies for his souls to move to. Freed had recently engaged in a very intense sword-to-knife fight and ended up badly wounded. Gargon, however, looked fine.

Smirking, the Thunder God Tribe's opponent spoke. "Where's Zeref?"

Evergreen sighed. "Everyone knows Zeref has been dead for years, smart one."

"Actually, considering Zeref is still alive, I am the smart one." Gargon crossed his arms over his chest with an evil grin.

"Impossible," Bickslow gasped.

"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!" His babies chimed.

"It is not!" Gargon roared. "I also am in need of Nicole. Where is she?"

"Nicole Emereon? The newcomer?" Evergreen asked in disbelief. "What do you want her for? What's so special about her?"

"Special! Special! Special!"

Gargon's eyes widened. "She hasn't told you? Actually, I'm not surprised. The others looked rather surprised when I pointed her out. And she is known to be stubborn and sensitive. Ah, what a nuisance."

"Mind speaking a language we understand?" Bickslow howled, attempting to help Freed.

"If she hasn't told you," Gargon hissed, "You shouldn't trust her. If she won't tell you even the simplest thing, you can't trust her."

"I trust her."

Bickslow and Evergreen turned towards a voice from behind them. Freed desperately turned his head so he could also see. Erza Scarlet emerged from the trees, equipped in her flight armour. She had the cheetah-like cat ears and her armour on, sword already in hand. Her red hair fell behind her head, glistening in the sun.

Erza tightened her grip on the sword. "I've been searching the island for you. Nicole mentioned a weapons expert, and I had to see this for myself."

"I'm flattered."

"I haven't mentioned I'm not impressed yet."

"What?"

"I'm not impressed.

"And to continue on Nicole," Erza scowled, trekking forward, sword ready, "she's a courageous individual who recently saved Gray's life. If she doesn't want to explain her past to us, that's fine. Fairy Tail will help her open up, and she will know to share when she's ready. It's completely her decision."

"So you're not even the slightest bit curious?" Gargon questioned, as he too stepped forward to meet the S-Class Fairy Tail mage.

"I never said that," Erza snapped. "But when she wants to tell us, she can." In a flash of brilliant light, her Flight Armour vanished. In its place was a full silver dress that looked almost like it was made of feathers. The dress poofed out and had no straps. Erza held two small silver swords, and atop her head was a silver headband. It was her Heaven's Wheel Armour.

"Prepare," Erza snarled, readying her swords, "To be exterminated."

**Elsewhere still…**

Two tall men stood in a huge crater created by a high amount of gravity magic. Both men possessed a huge amount of magic power. They stood at a standstill, simply surveying each other, waiting for them to make the first move.

"What's your name?" One said, demanding an answer.

"Bluenote Stinger, the one who wields the most powerful gravity magic of all. You must be the oh-so famous Gildarts everyone speaks about. Gildarts Clive." The man finished with a wave of gravity magic pulling Gildarts down. However, the ginger haired man held his ground.

"Got me there. But I won't hesitate to hurt you." He smirked and prepared to cast his own spell.

**What about Gray?**

Gray sat on a rock, staring at the river beneath him, exhausted. Ultear had put up a great fight- and still used Ice-Make magic along with her Arc of Time magic, geez- but nevertheless he had triumphed, but in the process had to cut his side open to stain his ice red- blood red. That way Ultear couldn't control it (she could control any inanimate object, making his ice nearly useless) and he ended up winning. Ultear learned some things about her mother.

"I'm not sure what I want to do with him anymore," the black-haired girl murmured, pointing to Zeref, who lay not far away.

Gray's jaw hit the ground. "Is that…"

Ultear nodded. "Yeah."

"W- Wow…"

"I don't want to bring him to Hades," Ultear continued. "I wanted to reach the Grand Magic World so I could go back to a time where my mother loved me."

Although confused, Gray still answered. "Your mother always loved you."

Ultear sighed. "Wish I had known that earlier."

"Leave Zeref and get off the island," Gray suggested. "Take Meredy with you. She seems to like you." _Unless something else happened, _he forbid himself to say.

Ultear shot up. "Meredy? You saw her? Is she okay?"

"She was about to fight Juvia when I left," Gray shrugged. "I don't know."

"I'm going to leave the island," Ultear whispered. "I have to repay my sins."

"You do that," Gray said with a sigh as Ultear slid Zeref's arm over her shoulder and stumbled off. Gray stood up, wincing as he held his side, and looked up at the sky.

_Ur…_

He began limping to where the Fairy Tail camp was.

**So what happened to Gajeel and Natsu?**

"Well, that was easy!" Natsu cried cheerfully, dusting his hands off as an unconscious Zargo lay face first on the ground, implanted in a crater-like hole.

"You almost died twice," Gajeel scowled.

"I did?' Natsu asked in confusion.

"YES!" Gajeel roared. "And I had to save you!"

"You did?"

"YEAH!"

"Naw, I doubt it."

"WHAT?"

"You were nearly dead trying to beat up this guy! And I was nowhere near dead."

"THE ROCK WOULD HAVE HIT YOUR FUCKING SKULL IF IT WASN'T FOR ME!"

"What?"

"YES!"

"Did I really almost die twice?"

"YES!"

"Actually, it was three times."

"WHAT?"

"Geez, get it right, metal-head." And the Salamander trotted off.

Gajeel hissed in annoyance and followed the pink-haired fool. _How can he be so oblivious and stupid while still beating the crap out of everyone every time?_

**Well then…**

**Typical Natsu.**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Lucy was busy running for her life from a huge pudgy man that looked like a marshmallow, who oh-so desperately wanted to marry her. What the hell? That's not something you see everyday. Aries had almost got him, but he was almost indestructible. She could barely hurt him. Plus, he had this creepy doll he called 'Mr. Cursey.' It didn't get any weirder than that!

Oh, wait. Yeah, it could.

As Lucy fell to the ground, exhausted, the pudgy man (named Kain) plucked a hair and stuck it in Mr Cursey's head. "There! I control you now!"

"W… What?" Lucy croaked, raising her head. But then her arm flew up to her head. "Hey! Are you controlling me?"

"Yes I am!" Kain cackled. He made Lucy do a backbend, splits, and a bunch of painful yoga poses.

"Lucy-san?" Wendy sprinted into view. "Lucy-san!"

"WWWWEEEENNNNDDDDYYYY!" Lucy moaned as she fell in yet another twist.

"I'll help you!" Wendy called, rushing forward.

**(0.0)**

**(. .)**

The Tenrou tree started to creak. A brown-haired man stood at the base, concentrating all his magic into uprooting the tree. The branches on the tree trembled. The leaves shook. Several small animals leapt out of the tree in the frantic escape for their lives. Azuma continued to collapse the tree.

As the tree fell, the guild members… Well, you'll have to find out in the next chapter.


	18. Battle of Zeref: He's Missed a Lot

**Here is chapter 18 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Sorry for the wait, guys. Enjoy the chapter. I'm wrapping up the arc soon too, than going into another one- instead of the 'Key to the Starry Heavens' arc in the anime (I thought it was crap) I'm doing my own. It's called 'Return of Lightning Palace.' Mwahaha.**

**FAIRY TAIL:**

**Makarov, taken out by Hades.**

**Juvia, Lisanna, Elfman, Gray, and the Thunder God tribe exhausted and injured.**

**Natsu and Gajeel, slightly exhausted.**

**Lucy and Wendy currently fighting Kain.**

**Erza currently fighting Gargon.**

**Gildarts currently fighting Bluenote Stinger.**

**Still active: Nicole, Macao, Wakaba, Mirajane, Laki, Happy, Carla, Cana, Pantherlily, Alzack, Bisca, Jet, Droy, and Levy.**

**GRIMIORE HEART:**

**Zancrow, taken out by Natsu.**

**Capricorn, taken out by Loke.**

**Ultear, taken out by Gray, searching for Meredy.**

**Meredy, exhausted and injured.**

**Bluenote Stinger currently fighting Gildarts.**

**Kain currently fighting Wendy and Lucy.**

**Still active: Rusty Rose, Hades, Azuma.**

**THE 6 DESTROYERS:**

**Miko, taken out by Rusty Rose.**

**Marnolia, taken out by Mirajane.**

**Zargo, taken out by Natsu and Gajeel.**

**Gargon, currently fighting Erza.**

**Still active: Shulfur, one unknown.**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: There's an awesome thing called copy and paste XD**

**FairyTailLuver: Read above ^^ Thanks!**

**Iceberry2666: Typical Natsu!**

_**Previously:**_

"_W… What?" Lucy croaked, raising her head. But then her arm flew up to her head. "Hey! Are you controlling me?"_

"_Yes I am!" Kain cackled. He made Lucy do a backbend, splits, and a bunch of painful yoga poses._

"_Lucy-san?" Wendy sprinted into view. "Lucy-san!"_

"_WWWWEEEENNNNDDDDYYYY!" Lucy moaned as she fell into yet another twist._

"_I'll help you!" Wendy called, rushing forward._

_**(0.0)**_

_**(. .)**_

_The Tenrou tree started to creak. A brown-haired man stood at the base, concentrating all his magic into uprooting the tree. The branches on the tree trembled. The leaves shook. Several small animals leapt out of the tree in the frantic escape for their lives. Azuma continued to collapse the tree._

_As the tree fell, the guild members… Well, you'll just have to find out in the next chapter._

**Chapter 18: Battle For Zeref: Part 6**

**Normal POV**

"Gah…" Gildarts winced and stumbled. All his energy was gone! No more will to fight! No more power! Bluenote seemed to notice his struggles and smirked.

"Lost your power? What a pity." He marched forward, waiting to claim what was his win.

"No…"

**(0.0)**

**(. .)**

"AH!" Nicole slipped and collapsed on the ground. Cringing, she tried to get back up, but couldn't.

"I'm so weak…" she whispered. She tried to drag herself forward, but it was no use. Her brown hair flopped towards the side of her sweat-drenched face. _I can't lose here! What's happening?_

As Nicole lay back on the forest floor, deprived of magic energy and the will to fight, she wondered how everyone else was. _I don't want everyone to die because of me. This is all my fault._

There was a loud creak. Nicole peered over her shoulder as the Tenrou tree began to collapse. _No! What's happening? Why is it collapsing? _

Worse, it was collapsing on her.

Nicole struggled to drag herself out of the way, but the tree was so huge. _Is the tree falling making us lose our magic abilities? _She pushed to thought to the back of her mind and attempted to pull herself out of the tree's falling line, but to no avail. The tree shuddered and fell on top of her.

Actually, not quite. The branches narrowly missed Nicole, one striking by her head as another flew between her arm and her side. The tree trunk itself wasn't collapsing on her- the branches could save her!

Then the tree rolled over onto her leg.

Nicole screamed in pain as the bones in her leg snapped. _It's the same leg I broke in Hakobe! _She winced, trying to move, but with no success. _This leg is killing me…._

_No, _she ordered herself, blinking, _I'm not going to cry. No. _She managed a small smile before blacking out as hooded figure looming over her.

**How about Ultear?**

…**~~~:::*****

"The tree's falling…" Ultear whispered to herself as she watched the tree collapse. She heard a scream of agony as the tree hit the ground, and winced. "That must have hurt…"

_The tree's going to cut off Fairy Tail's power! They're doomed for sure! It must be Azuma's doing, _she thought bitterly. Setting Zeref down, she made her way to the tree and concentrated.

And luckily for Fairy Tail, the tree was standing once again.

*****:::~~~…**

Feeling much better, Mirajane continued to set up camp. Elfman was sleeping, but Lisanna was well enough to help her. For some odd reason, they suddenly had felt sick or something, but they were fine now, and getting back to work. Jet had brought over Master Makarov, and he was currently resting.

"Mira-nee, where do you want these blankets?" Lisanna called.

"Just over there would be fine," Mira called back. She continued washing some clothes when there was a rustle in the bushes.

Mira looked up innocently from her chore. "Who's there?"

A tall, familiar blond stepped out. He was dressed in a long cloak, was wearing headphones, and was crackling with electricity. And he had a very familiar jagged scar across one eye.

Mira blinked. "Laxus?"

The blond blinked back. "Mira?"

Mira remained silent as Laxus trotted forward. "I came to pay respect to the first master's grave, and I find more chaos than usual here. What the hell is going on?"

Mira moved up to him and wrapped her arms around him. Laxus stared down at her, surprised. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered. She pulled away and smiled. "Evil people are trying to kill Nicole and we got dragged into it."

"Nicole? Who's that?"

"New arrival-" A panting Carla emerged into view, startling the pair. Carla dropped an exhausted Lucy.

"She got beat up pretty badly," Carla admitted. "But she's alright. She won. Wendy's coming too." She looked up at the Lightning Dragon Slayer. "Who are you?"

"Damn, we got another flying cat?" Laxus said in bewilderment. "I've missed a lot."

Pantherlily in Battle form burst through the bushes. "Cana's in trouble! She's facing off with another card mage, and she's not doing too well!" He turned to a confused Laxus. "Who are you? An enemy?"

"Just how many talking cats do we have around here?" Laxus barked.

"Mira-nee?" Lisanna lifted her head and gasped. "Laxus?"

"Lisanna?" Laxus stared at Lisanna, then poked her shoulder. "You're dead."

"Hey!" Lisanna complained. "I'm not!"

"Lisanna actually went to a reverse universe just before she died and she's been there for 2 years. It's the homeland of the exceeds, so Pantherlily here came with us to be a partner with Gajeel, because he was jealous of Happy and Natsu and the new arrivals, Dragon Slayer Wendy and Carla, her exceed." Mira motioned to the exhausted duo. Laxus's jaw hit the floor.

"SHE'S a dragon slayer?"

"Yep!" Mira said cheerfully. "And now that you're here, you can help us."

"Yo." Gildarts stomped through the trees. "I just beat up a bad guy, can I have a drink?" He turned to Laxus. "So you got kicked out of the guild, huh? Sucker!"

Laxus sighed. He was going to have to put up with these clowns for a bit…


	19. Battle of Zeref: Future Visions

**Voila, we now have chapter 19 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Konnechiwa! How are you guys? I just got my black belt in karate! I'm so happy! So I thought I'd update. I hope you guys like this chapter. I made it extra long in my happiness (I hope)**

**Go follow my Fairy Tail account of instagram! It's: ffairytail_ (two underscores)**

**FAIRY TAIL:**

**Makarov, taken out by Hades.**

**Juvia, Lisanna, Elfman, Gray, the Thunder God Tribe, Lucy, Nicole, Carla, and Wendy exhausted and/or injured.**

**Natsu, Gildarts, and Gajeel, slightly exhausted.**

**Erza currently fighting Gargon.**

**Cana currently fighting Shulfur.**

**Still active: Macao, Wakaba, Mirajane, Laki, Laxus, Happy, Pantherlily, Alzack, Bisca, Levy, Jet, and Droy.**

**GRIMIORE HEART:**

**Zancrow, taken out by Natsu.**

**Capricorn, taken out by Loke.**

**Ultear, taken out by Gray, searching for Meredy.**

**Bluenote Stinger, taken out by Gildarts.**

**Kain, taken out by Lucy and Wendy.**

**Meredy, exhausted and injured.**

**Still active: Azuma, Rusty Rose, Hades.**

**THE 6 DESTROYERS:**

**Miko, taken out by Rusty Rose.**

**Marnolia, taken out by Mirajane.**

**Zargo, taken out by Natsu and Gajeel.**

**Gargon, currently fighting Erza.**

**Shulfur, currently fighting Cana.**

**Still active: One unknown.**

**~REVIEWS!**

**FairyTailLuver: Thank you!**

**WaterStar45: I only typed out a few, copy and pasted that a few times, then copy and pasted THAT a few times… Hee hee hee.**

**Iceberry2666: Thank you so so much!**

**SashaMonroe: Thank you so much!**

_**Previously:**_

"_She got beat up pretty badly," Carla admitted. "But she's alright. She won. Wendy's coming too." She looked up at the Lightning Dragon Slayer. "Who are you?"_

"_Damn, we got another flying cat?" Laxus said in bewilderment. "I've missed a lot."_

_Pantherlily in Battle form burst through the bushes. "Cana's in trouble! She's facing off with another card mage, and she's not doing too well!" He turned to a confused Laxus. "Who are you? An enemy?"_

"_Just how many talking cats do we have around here?" Laxus barked._

"_Mira-nee?" Lisanna lifted her head and gasped. "Laxus?"_

"_Lisanna?" Laxus stared at Lisanna, then poked her shoulder. "You're dead."_

"_Hey!" Lisanna complained. "I'm not!"_

"_Lisanna actually went to a reverse universe just before she died and she's been there for 2 years. It's the homeland of the exceeds, so Pantherlily here came with us to be a partner with Gajeel, because he was jealous of Happy and Natsu and the new arrivals, Dragon Slayer Wendy and Carla, her exceed." Mira motioned to the exhausted duo. Laxus's jaw hit the floor._

"_SHE'S a dragon slayer?"_

"_Yep!" Mira said cheerfully. "And now that you're here, you can help us."_

"_Yo." Gildarts stomped through the trees. "I just beat up a bad guy, can I have a drink?" He turned to Laxus. "So you got kicked out of the guild, huh? Sucker!"_

_Laxus sighed. He was going to have to put up with these clowns for a bit…_

**Chapter 19: Battle For Zeref: Part 7**

**Normal POV**

"Ngh…" Cana lay motionless on the ground, her long brown hair twisted out around her. Her bag lay crumpled to the side, and cards were scattered on the ground where she lay. A triumphant, blond man hovered over her, observing his win. One eyebrow was raised. Cana struggled to lift her head.

"Looks like I won." The blond, Shulfur, kicked the crumpled form of the alcoholic. Cana rolled onto her other side, wincing.

"Cana!" Gildarts burst out of the tree line, Pantherlily at his heels. He stopped and stared at the brunette.

_Father?… _Cana smiled faintly. _I can't give up now! _Cana lashed out one leg, catching Shulfur in the knee. Hissing in pain, Shulfur hobbled back, distracted. Seizing the opportunity, Cana grabbed a discarded card on the ground, hoping it would provide something useful. There was a faded lightning bolt on the card.

_Perfect._

"Card Magic!" Cana called weakly. "Summon lightning!" She threw the card at Shulfur's feet. Lightning exploded out of the card and enveloped the Destroyer. Screeching, Shulfur fell backwards. Snapping out of his shock, Gildarts rushed forward to Cana and scooped her up, as if she were as light as a rag doll. Cana looked up.

"Father?" she mumbled weakly, but Gildarts didn't seem to hear her.

"Come on, let's get you back to the camp," Gildarts grumbled. "Mira will fix ya up." Behind him, Pantherlily was poking Shulfur with his sword, determined to make sure he was down and out for the count.

"Father," Cana insisted. Gildarts looked down.

"Father!"

"What now?"

"You're my father?"

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"Yeah."

"So, when you came to the guild, looking for your father…"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"Mmhmm."

"Hey!" Behind them, Pantherlily flew off his feet, blasted by a geyser of fire. Shulfur staggered to his feet.

"I'm not done with you!" He shouted. Cana rolled out of her father's arms, and stumbled forward.

"I got this," the alcoholic smirked. She shrugged off her white jacket to reveal weird tattoos etched upon her arm.

"Is that…" Gildarts gaped at his newly-known daughter.

Cana grinned. She shouted a quick enchantment, then screamed, "FAIRY GLITTER!"

Let's just say Shulfur was not fit for battle after that.

*****:::~~~…**

"Meredy! Meredy!"

The pinkette awoke to someone shaking her shoulder. She hazily opened her eyes to see the figure of Ultear standing over her. Meredy smiled.

"Ultear!" She threw herself into the woman's arms. "We have to get out of here!"

"I know."

"Did you find Gray?"

"Yes."

"So he's dead?"

"No."

"What?"

"I'll explain on the way." Ultear, leaving Zeref crumpled in the bushes, marched off to a small boat, hand in hand with Meredy, who couldn't have been happier.

…**~~~:::*****

In a large crater (created by Natsu, obviously) there lay two people. Two woman. One was bound, with her hands pinned to her sides and her feet left free. Her light brown hair spread around her like a halo. She was laying back in the crater, unconscious. Another woman loomed over her, bright red hair sweeping over her shoulders. She had an hour glass figure, with big lips and green eyes. She stared at the girl, willing her to wake up.

And wake up Nicole did. "Wha… What?" Nicole struggled to sit up, which is not easy with hands bound by your sides. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in a crater, created by a fire-breathing Fairy Tail member," the woman retorted, "And you were crushed by a tree. I, ever so graciously, saved you."

"You have a stupid idea of 'save'," Nicole grumbled, successfully sitting up in her spot. "What do you want?"

"To get some information," the lady stated.

"I didn't know, Marnolia, that you could change the sound of your voice."

"My name is Violet."

"You look like Marnolia."

"We're twins."

"That explains a lot."

"My amazing power," Violet boasted, crossing her arms across her chest, "Is to see visions of the future and of other people's futures."

"…That's it?"

"What do you mean, that's it?" Violet roared. "It's incredible!"

"Yeah, but you can't fight," Nicole added, wincing as she put too much pressure on her leg.

"Neither can you, in this state," the red head snapped. "You broke your leg."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Nicole snorted. Violet frowned.

"Okay. I thought you'd want to know your future, and I want to see it too, to see if it involves the Destroyers in any way. If not, that's bad news for us." Violet finished with a snap, staring down Nicole, as if it would be her fault if the future was bad.

"You know what? I don't have time for this." Nicole, with difficulty, stood up on her one leg, letting the other one dangle above the ground. Pivoting on her heel, she kicked Violet across the face with her foot.

"What the hell!" Violet screeched. "You broke that leg!"

"Doesn't mean I can't use it!" Nicole called back, kicking again, all while balancing on her one foot. Sure, her leg killed like hell, but that doesn't mean she couldn't kick someone's ass.

Closing her hands around the ropes, she concentrated, and soon enough the binds were ice. Easily shattering them, Nicole flexed her wrists. "Ow, that kind of hurt." She shook her arms and faced a clearly terrified Violet.

Then the scene changed.

Violet and Nicole were standing in a cold, dark cell. It was slightly damp and cobwebs littered the corners. In the corner, a body lay huddled, wrists bound in chains and attached to the top of the cell. The person had light brown hair around their face, torn and muddy, and had a tear in their green jacket.

"It's… me." Nicole gasped.

"We're in the future!" Violet cackled. "It worked!"

"No, no, no…" Nicole frantically moved to her future self, but when she reached out fir her shoulder, her hand passed right through. "Oh!"

"It's an illusion," Violet explained. "You have no control over what happens here."

Terrified, Nicole turned to the cell gate. At that moment, a tall, purple haired man was striding into the room. He looked slightly familiar…

"Golfer!" Nicole cried. "But… I look the same age, and he looks so much older. What the…"

Then the scene changed.

They were standing in front of a huge, creepy palace, dark and spooky. Just before, they were on the inside of the palace. Nicole spotted Gray, Natsu, Erza, and Lucy fighting dark mages at the front gates. Gray ducked past one and ran inside. But she couldn't find herself in the fight at all. That meant…

"I'm still inside," she whispered. They were trying to rescue her. God.

"Gray!" Nicole ran through the wall (considering it was an illusion) and struggled to find Gray. "Gray!" She turned a corner and found Gray, who was frantically looking left and right. Then an ear-splitting, bloodcurdling scream sounded through the air.

"That's me…" Nicole realized. Then the scene changed again.

They were now in a large arena, surrounded by a huge audience. Nicole saw her future self standing in the arena on the sandy ground, facing a crazy looking man. He had purple armour covering his upper half, black hair tied in a bun, and was holding a bottle of sorts.

The future Nicole smirked and stalked up to him. But the man wasn't moving. A conflicted expression crossed over the man's face. Then there was a flash of light, and Nicole was back in the crater, Violet sitting on the ground not too far away.

Nicole fell to her knees, staring at the floor, gasping. "How… What… Pain…"

"You'll feel pain," Violet squeaked, pointing a shaky finger at the Ice Dragon Slayer. "You will feel pain beyond your imagination. You will never be the same again…"

Then Violet fell backwards and slipped into unconsciousness.

At the same moment, Erza burst out of the trees, in her flight armour, panting and twirling. Gargon ran in from behind her, swinging a large sword. Their swords clashed again. And again. "Erza!" Nicole gathered enough energy to throw an ice knife at Gargon. Gargon leapt out of the way, dodging the attack, but had to retreat to avoid a pressing Erza.

Then Gray burst out of the woods. Although he was clutching his side, he stumbled into the crater, seemingly exhausted. "Nicole!"

"Gray!" Nicole called back. She pulled herself over to the ice mage.

"Are you okay?" He asked, eyeing her leg suspiciously.

"Fine. Ah. No." Nicole winced and hopped on one foot. Gray instantly created an ice cube and Nicole snatched it and ate it. "Thanks."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Gray repeated. Something seemed off. Like she had just seen a ghost.

"Let's help Erza," Nicole said, avoiding the question. Gray decided he'd ask her later.

An earsplitting roar broke all sound on the island. A huge body swept over the crater, creating a huge shadow. Nicole looked up to see a black body with blue markings. "Is that…"

"A dragon?" Gargon gasped. "I didn't know those things even existed!"

The name appeared on the tip of Nicole's tongue, even if she'd never heard it before.

"Acnologia."


	20. Battle of Zeref: Ice

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 20 (i think)!**

**Hey-o, people. I'm taking out the standings part because this is the last part for the battle for Zeref. Mwahaha! On to the new arc we go!**

**I got a hater review. Ah, oh well. Note to self: The best way to piss people off is to correct their grammar. :D**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: THANK YOU!**

**Iceberry2666: Yes, the dragon is indeed very weird. Glad someone agrees with me :D**

**Guest: Excuse me? If you don't like the story, don't read. I happen to think I'm very good at writing, actually. And many others think so. Nicole is my OC. If you actually read the note at the **_**very beginning of the fricking story **_**you would know that.**

**Oh, guest? P.S.: **wrong **this **story **the **characters **messed **Dutchess *writing **ain't**

**If you think I'm a bad writer, you can't really criticize me considering the lack of writing you have. :D**

**Sorry for my rant there, everyone else.**

_**Previously:**_

_Then Gray burst out of the woods. Although he was clutching his side, he stumbled into the crater, seemingly exhausted. "Nicole!"_

"_Gray!" Nicole called back. She pulled herself over to the ice mage._

"_Are you okay?" He asked, eyeing her leg suspiciously._

"_Fine. Ah. No." Nicole winced and hopped on one foot. Gray instantly created an ice cube and Nicole snatched it and ate it. "Thanks."_

"_Are you sure you're okay?" Gray repeated. Something seemed off. Like she had just seen a ghost._

"_Let's help Erza," Nicole said, avoiding the question. Gray decided he'd ask her later_

_An earsplitting roar broke all sound on the island. A huge body swept over the crater, creating a huge shadow. Nicole looked up to see a black body with blue markings. "Is that…"_

"_A dragon?" Gargon gasped. "I didn't know those things even existed!"_

_The name appeared on the tip of Nicole's tongue, even if she'd never heard it before_

"_Acnologia."_

**Chapter 20: Battle For Zeref: Part 8**

**Normal POV**

"Take cover!" Erza shrieked as she dove towards a tree. Nicole hobbled after her, Gray close behind.

Erza's red hair vanished in a clump of bushes. There was a flash of light as she changed her armour. Gray had almost jumped in the bush when he heard a scream behind him.

Gray turned to see a pained Nicole, still favouring her leg, under the grip of Gargon. He had a hand on her shoulder and a knife pressed to her throat. Nicole had one hand clutching Gargon's elbow of the arm holding the knife. Her teeth were clenched and her eyes were squeezed shut.

"Nicole!" Gray surged away from Erza until Gargon screamed at him. "STOP!"

Gray fell short. Scarlet drops of blood appeared at Nicole's throat. "Take another step," Gargon threatened, "and she dies."

Gray didn't move. Instead, he looked up at the sky. He could see a black head of a dragon above them. It was massive. The blue markings on its body glowed. He looked back to Gargon. "All of our lives are on the line. Do you really care about Nicole- and her power- that much?"

"Yes," Gargon sneered. "Violet went into Nicole's future. There is no sign of the Destroyers. So I will not let her go."

As he spoke, Nicole grinned faintly. Realizing she had a plan, Gray watched with interest. Ice formed at the knife where it was touching her neck, and crept up the blade and onto the leader of the Destroyer's arm. As he shrieked and droop the knife, Nicole pulled down the hand that was on Gargon's elbow, and threw his now-knifeless hand up. Twisting, she kicked him in the gut, and rolled away from him.

"You witch!" Gargon cursed, selecting another knife from his jacket. A loud roar sounded again, making Nicole shudder. Gray grabbed her arm and hauled her up. Standing side by side, they waited for Gargon's next move. Nicole's hands clutched her leg.

"If I can't kill her, I'll have to settle for you." Gargon threw his arm back and chucked the knife with all his might at Gray.

Nicole's hands were at her leg. There was no way she could grab it now. The knife was moving so quickly, and Gray knew almost immediately he was dead. It was going to hit him in the stomach, directly, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Nicole couldn't save him. He was as good as dead.

There was the sickening sound of a knife entering someone's body. A loud gasp. A shriek from Erza, who was now running out of her hiding spot to help. Blood landed on the ground as a figure crumpled to the earth.

The blood splattered the clearing.

The silence was eerie.

*****:::~~~…**

"Hide!" Mirajane ran for the trees, followed by several other Fairy Tail members. Natsu remained still, eyes transfixed on the sky.

Another loud, booming roar.

"This is the dragon I met!" Gildarts cried, following Cana into the trees. "There's no chance!"

A weary, tired Makarov stood up. "Get to the boats. Escape here. We have to hurry."

"But where's Nicole?" Lucy cried. "And Gray and Erza?"

"You mean, they're not back yet?" Lisanna cried.

"No! Gray-sama!" Juvia sobbed, melting into a puddle of water. "Gray-sama! With love rival!"

"GO TO THE SHIPS!" Makarov barked. "I'll find them. That's an order."

"Gramps!" Natsu protested. "This is what my magic was meant for! To slay dragons. You can't tell me to leave now. We have to fight."

"Natsu, can't you see?" Lucy wailed. "We're doomed. We can't fight that! Gildarts barely got out alive!" She fell onto her knees, crying into her hands.

"No!" Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand. "We're not going to give up! Fairy Tail never backs down from a challenge, or gives up. We will fight our way to the end. And we WILL survive. Trust me on this."

Lucy stared up and the fire-dragon slayer with wide brown eyes. She gripped his hand. "Okay…" She stood up (with Natsu's help) and slowly, Fairy Tail members emerged from the trees.

"Gihi," Gajeel chuckled. "Let's do this." Wendy smiled, face filled with determination.

"I'm all fired up," Natsu whispered. Fairy Tail let out a cheer, even Laxus joined in. Then a scream split the air.

"Is that…"

"Erza!"

The rest of the guild ran for the scream.

…**~~~:::***:::~~~…~~~:::*****

Erza wasted no time hurling a spear at Gargon's head. The weapon-wielder crumpled. The Queen of the Fairies turned to the brunette and the ice mage.

It was a horrible sight to see. Gray was leaning over Nicole's huddled body, shocked and paralyzed with fear. Nicole's eyes were half closed, and the area around her was sprayed in blood. Her body was curled around the stomach, where a knife was resting, buried to the hilt in her stomach. The ice dragon slayer's stomach was dyed crimson.

Nicole had pushed Gray to the side.

She had gotten a knife in her stomach.

She was going to die.

"No, no no!" Gray wildly tried to ice over the wound on the crumpled girl's stomach. "Nicole! NICOLE! You can't die!"

"Wendy!" Erza yelled, tears threatening to overflow in her eyes. "Wendy! WENDY!"

Nicole's eyes fluttered open. Gray stared down at her in horror. "Nicole!"

She smiled weakly. "It's… okay…"

"How can you say that!?" Gray roared, tears trickling down his cheeks. "You're about to die!"

"And… I'm… happy I… will… die… like… this…" Her voice trailed off.

"Why?" Gray whispered. "You shouldn't want to die at all!"

"Fairy… Tail…" Nicole pulled her finger to her face. "Every… one…" With a violent gasp, she coughed up blood. Gray hissed through his teeth. Nicole put her finger in the blood and swirled it onto the bare ground. She spelt three chilling letters.

I.

C.

E.

Ice.

Acnologia roared over head. A ball of energy gathered in his mouth. He was about to unleash his dragon roar.

Yet Gray and Erza didn't care. Nicole was about to die- no, she was dying.

Three things happened at once.

The rest of the Fairy Tail guild burst into the clearing, shocked at what they saw.

Nicole's eyes fluttered shut as she took a long, painful breath.

Acnologia unleashed his dragon roar.

Then Tenrou Island was pulled from existence.


	21. Romeo

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 21!**

**Hey, people. Here we go. CHAPTER 21! OMG I NEVER IMAGINED I'D ACTUALLY MAKE IT THIS FAR GOD**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: Thank you! That means a lot to me!**

_**Previously:**_

"_Fairy… Tail…" Nicole pulled her finger to her face. "Every… one…" With a violent gasp, she coughed up blood. Gray hissed through his teeth. Nicole put her finger in the blood and swirled it onto the bare ground. She spelt three chilling letters._

_I._

_C._

_E._

_Ice._

_Acnologia roared over head. A ball of energy gathered in his mouth. He was about to unleash his dragon roar._

_Yet Gray and Erza didn't care. Nicole was about to die- no, she was dying._

_Three things happened at once._

_The rest of Fairy Tail guild burst into the clearing, shocked at what they saw._

_Nicole's eyes fluttered shut as she took a long, painful breath._

_Acnologia unleashed his dragon roar._

_Then Tenrou Island was pulled from existence. _

**Chapter 21: Romeo**

**Normal POV**

As Acnologia cast his dragon roar on the island, there was a huge explosion. The only survivors of the explosion were Meredy and Ultear, who had made it to a boat and were trying to escape with their lives. The only others were Hades and Zeref. The former had found the latter and taken him to his ship, determined to set sail as soon as he heard the dragon arrive. But the dark mage had other plans. Zeref killed the leader of Grimiore Heart, with no remorse.

There was no Fairy Tail left. None. They were all on Tenrou Island at the time. There was nobody to keep the guild running, and soon the building was broken down and useless. It was left as a monument to Magnolia- the death of the number one guild in Fiore. No one went anywhere near.

This left Raven Tail useless. Ivan, the leader of Raven Tail, and Makarov's son, had mixed feelings about the occasion. No more Fairy Tail meant no more purpose for the guild he had created. He spent 3 years after the disappearance of the guild searching for the Lumen Histoire- what he wanted all his life. Yet security was tight around the old building, and he searched for a long time to no avail.

Alas, Raven Tail was disbanded.

There was one person who was left to carry out Fairy Tail's memories.

Romeo Conbolt.

As soon as he heard of the explosion, the young child begged to have search parties. The guilds of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus were eager to offer help, and for six months they searched, but they found no trace of the sacred island. Romeo was left devastated- he lost his role model, Natsu, his father, Macao, and the guild he was looking forward to joining so much.

Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale gave him offers to join their guild, but he turned them down. He didn't want to be anywhere besides Fairy Tail. He was found kicked out on the streets by a woman, with dark skin and hair. Her hair slightly resembled ears of a sort, and she looked athletic and slightly menacing.

She passed him snivelling out on the streets once and stared him down. "What are you doing out her in the middle of winter, kid?"

Romeo tucked his head into his knees. He sniffed once but didn't answer.

The lady sighed. "Look, if you want help, you better answer."

Romeo peeked up at the lady in front of him. "I'm Romeo. I was going to join Fairy Tail, but they were all killed." He started crying again.

The lady cringed. "Kid, normally I hate children, but I can't just pass you by. Come on," she sighed, extending an arm towards the small boy. "I can get you food and stuff. I have a job."

Romeo was about to turn her down. He learned never to trust many people, and he wanted to be alone. But she was right. He didn't have work, food, or money, and was going to starve on th streets like this.

"Okay," he sighed, grabbing her hand and toddling after her.

"Good," the woman declared. "I'm Crystal."

*****:::~~~…**

Romeo grew up. He worked with Crystal, all day, and helped her when he could. He began to take magic lessons from Totumaru, the fire mage. He worked up his power as much as he could. It turns out Crystal was a mage too- she didn't mind her powers at all.

…**~~~:::*****

It had been 7 years.

7 years since the tragic accident.

That's when they finally found Tenrou Island again.

Romeo was one of the first to know. He, a Blue Pegasus team, Lamia Scale, and Crystal, all travelled to the old island to find it exactly how it had been 7 years ago.

"Come on!" Romeo hollered. "We've got to find them!" His enthusiasm was contagious. Several members of Blue Pegasus joined him as he ran onto the sandy banks of the island.

"Natsu!" Romeo called. "Dad!" He raced further into the brush, then stopped.

There was a hand sticking out of the sand in front of him.

"Hey!" Romeo immediately crouched down and began frantically digging. As he scraped sand away, the figure bolted upright in the sand, eyes wide with shock.

"…Wendy?"

"What? Romeo?" Wendy blinked her eyes in confusion. "What's going on? Where's the dragon?"

"I… I…" Romeo couldn't speak. He was overwhelmed by the happiness flooding inside of him. Romeo wrapped his arms around the Sky Maiden. Wendy gasped a little before hugging him back.

Soon, they found everyone else. Most of the guild was in one area- the outskirts of a crater. Natsu was found next and immediately helped dig everyone else up. Hibiki was helping to explain the situation to the frightened Fairy Tail members. They found almost everyone- even Makarov. But they were still missing three…

"Where are Erza, Gray, and Nicole?" Romeo asked in confusion.

The realization dawned on Lucy as the memories flooded back. "Oh my god! Nicole!" She turned and scrambled down into the crater, where three faint outlines of bodies were visible.

"She needs medical help!" shouted someone from Lamia Scale. Nicole's body was covered in blood, and there was a knife sticking out of her stomach.

Crystal winced. "That ought to hurt."

Suddenly Gray burst awake. Natsu cheered. "Hey, Ice Princess!"

"Oi! What's…" Gray looked around in bewilderment. Then he saw Nicole. "Nicole!"

"I'll help!" Wendy called, rushing over.

Then Nicole coughed and woke up.

"Nicole!" Erza was now awake as well, rushing over to the Ice Dragon Slayer. "How are you alive?"

"What?" the brunette asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Um," Lucy said, gulping, "you kind of have… a knife in your stomach."

"Oh. This?" Nicole grabbed the hilt of the knife and tugged it out of her stomach. Lisanna gagged from her standing point as blood exploded out of Nicole's wound.

"Doesn't it… hurt?" Wendy whispered, aiming her hands over Nicole's stomach.

Nicole shook her head. "No."

Out from afar, Makarov managed a wry smile. Yes, it had been 7 years, but his family was fine. The crew that rescued them had reported several dead bodies- but none were Fairy Tail. Rusty Rose, Azuma, and many others were found dead. He knew Mavis had been part of the reason they survived. And for that, he was thankful.

_Will we fully recover? _he thought. But as he saw Macao crush Romeo in a huge, Nicole laugh at the disgusted look on Lisanna's face, Gray nearly crying in relief, Wendy helping Nicole, Lucy hugging Natsu while almost in tears, and Levy grinning up at Gajeel, he knew that they would be okay.


	22. The Secrets Spill

**ANDDDDDD SECRETS CAN KILL, CHAPTER 22!**

**And now the long Tenrou Island arc is over, and onto my own arc! Doesn't really have a name -_- but the future glimpses Nicole had have something to do with it. Only the first two glimpses, though. Hope you enjoy!**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: Yep, I'm incorporating ships. Can you tell? *coughcoughnalucoughrowencoughmiraxuscoughgale***

**Iceberry2666: I'm sorry that someone hacked into your account, but thanks so much!**

**FairyTailLuver: Cuz I'm the queen of cliffies :3**

**Previously:**

Suddenly Gray burst awake. Natsu cheered. "Hey, Ice Princess!"

"Oi! What's…" Gray looked around in bewilderment. Then he saw Nicole. "Nicole!"

"I'll help!" Wendy called, rushing over.

Then Nicole coughed and woke up.

"Nicole!" Erza was now awake as well, rushing over to the Ice Dragon Slayer. "How are you alive?"

"What?" the brunette asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Um," Lucy said, gulping, "you kind of have… a knife in your stomach."

"Oh. This?" Nicole grabbed the hilt of the knife and tugged it out of her stomach. Lisanna gagged from her standing point as blood exploded out of Nicole's wound.

"Doesn't it… hurt?" Wendy whispered, aiming her hands over Nicole's stomach.

Nicole shook her head. "No."

Out from afar, Makarov managed a wry smile. Yes, it had been 7 years, but his family was fine. The crew that rescued them had reported several dead bodies- but none were Fairy Tail. Rusty Rose, Azuma, and many others were found dead. He knew Mavis had been part of the reason they survived. And for that, he was thankful.

_Will we fully recover? _he thought. But as he saw Macao crush Romeo in a huge, Nicole laugh at the disgusted look on Lisanna's face, Gray nearly crying in relief, Wendy helping Nicole, Lucy hugging Natsu while almost in tears, and Levy grinning up at Gajeel, he knew that they would be okay.

**Chapter 22: The Secrets Spill**

**Nicole's POV**

All of us, exhausted yet thrilled, boarded the boats to set home. All Fairy Tail members occupied one cabin and sat in a circle, while Romeo sat in the center, eagerly explaining what had gone on in the last 7 years.

"Twilight Ogre is another guild that showed up in Magnolia," Romeo chattered. "And they wanted our old guild building, because it was so big, but the Mayor refused because it was a monument to us."

Makarov nodded in approval. "How nice of him."

Romeo frowned. "But now Twilight Ogre thinks there the best. I wasn't strong enough to go tell them to take it down a notch." Romeo looked at his shoes.

Makarov patted the boy on the back. "It's fine. What magic have you learned?"

Romeo's eyes grew wide. "Fire! Like Natsu-nii!" Natsu grinned. Romeo began to show a display of colourful fire. It was really cool, actually.

"Umm…" We all turned to a voice by the far side of the room. Crystal was standing there, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh, yeah! Everyone, this is Crystal-" Romeo gestured over to the woman- "And I've been staying with her ever since you guys left."

Crystal gave a small wave. "I can guess Romeo is going to be joining you guys, and because I'll be lonely without him,… Can I join too? If that's not too much to ask?"

"Yes! Please let her join!" Romeo begged.

Makarov laughed. "Of course she can! What magic do you use?"

"Kind of like transformation magic," Crystal said nervously. "But I turn into animals. My specialty-" in a huge flash of black light, Crystal was gone, and a black-furred wolf with brown eyes stared up at everyone. "-is wolves."

"Oooohhh…" Although Wendy had cast her healing magic on me, there was still a hole in my stomach. And now all the pain was coming at once. "Oh God." I slumped down in my spot, clutching my pained stomach.

"I'm sorry!" Wendy wailed. "I did as much as I could!"

"It's… okay, Wendy," I gasped, cringing. Lucy and Gray helped me sit back up on either side of me.

"We'll see Porlyusica as soon as we get back," Makarov reassured.

"Actually," Romeo beamed, "I had a messenger tell her as soon as we were about to leave. Hopefully, she'll be waiting for us when we get back."

"What?" I said faintly. "Oh. Thanks."

Gray nudged me. "I think you should tell them," he whispered in my ear.

I sighed. "I think so too. But I don't want to." I struggled to sit upright. "Hey, can I say something?" Now all the attention was on me. I squirmed under their gaze. _Awe, do I really have to do this? _"I… I'm kind of more than just an ice wizard. I'm a Ice Dragon Slayer."

There was a pause.

"WHAT?!"

*****:::~~~…**

After much explaining, people had finally calmed down. Some were furious for not explaining (Erza). Some were upset that others had known before them (Erza). Some looked ready to slice of Natsu's head for bragging about how he knew it first (Erza).

Then I creeped people out even more.

"I can do this eye vibrating thingy," I explained. "If I concentrate on someone, I can vibrate my eyes at them." Concentrating on Lucy, I twitched my eyes back and forth.

"Waaa!" Lucy fell backwards onto Natsu. "What the heck?"

"Sorry," I giggled. I did it to Gray next, who raised his eyebrows.

"That's weird."

"Well," I smirked, "I'm a weird person, aren't I?"

"How do you do that?" Natsu asked.

I gritted my teeth. "This is what I hate. _I don't know._"

"How can you not know?" Gajeel grunted.

I shrugged. "You tell me."

Evergreen smirked at me. "Crazy eyes are my kind of thing. Tell you what. Give me a week or so, and I can train you to make your vibrating eyes a weapon."

"Really?" I asked excitedly. She nodded.

Makarov scratched his chin. "Well, it would be nice to have another ability…"

"No fair!" Natsu complained. "I want to do it too!"

…**~~~:::*****

As soon as we returned, the reluctant Porlkyusica checked me over for the injuries. "I'm surprised you held out this long," she had said as she whisked me away to a hospital bed.

Other than that, we were welcomed with happy greetings. When we say our guild building, no one spoke. The first one was Macao. "Well, that's going to take a while to fix up."

Erza and Mirajane left for Twilight Ogre with Makarov to attempt to 'settle' things for trying to take their guild building. Judging by the screams, it was highly successful. Everyone else immediately began to work on the guild building.

Although Porlyusica advised I try not to strain myself, I wanted to help. I demonstrated my abilities for a few interested members. I fixed beams and painted walls. Juvia glared at me more than ever. Everthing was going back to normal… kind of.

As soon as a happy trio came back, Makarov insisted I stop working, in order to keep my wound from opening. Evergreen stepped in and said the training she had in mind would not involve body strength, and while I was healing would be the best time to practice. Makarov agreed, and Evergreen and I set off for the forest where we could practice.

**..~~::**ONE WEEK LATER***:::~~~…**

Evergreen and I returned to a finished guild building, heads held high. The guild looked even better, if possible. We walked in to cheers. Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Erza immediately rushed over to me. "How was it?" "Did you learn something new?" "Can you beat Natsu in a fight?" "She so CAN'T, Ice-Princess!"

"Hey, hey, calm down," I squeaked, laughing. "I can try to show you." As the members looked reluctant, I laughed. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt."

"Fine." Gritting his teeth, Gray stepped up. I smiled. _He trusts me…_

"Okay, here it goes!" I stared at Gray. Then I twitched my eyes.

Nobody moved. Especially not Gray.

"I don't get it!" Natsu whined. "Nothing happened."

"Flame Brain?" Gray called, still unmoving. "Haven't you noticed? I'm paralyzed." It was true. As much as Gray wanted to, he could only speak.

People applauded. I did a dramatic bow, laughing. Snapping my fingers, Gray returned back to his non-paralyzed self.

"Do it on me!" Natsu yelled. I shrugged. So, I concentrated, and vibrated my eyes.

"Have you done it yet?" Natsu cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms.

"What?" I narrowed my eyes. "Why doesn't it work?" Then a thought dawned on me. "You don't mean…"

I swivelled my gaze to Gajeel, who was munching on iron in the corner. I vibrated my eyes. Gajeel raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"It doesn't work on Dragon Slayers…" I whispered.

Natsu cheered. "Yes! Now Nikki can't use that on me!"

I punched him. "Don't get all cocky."

And alas, the guild was back to normal.

Mostly.

**AN: The eye vibrating thing is something I can do myself in real life :D**


	23. Lightning Palace: Eat a Cactus

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 23! YAY!**

**Thank you for all the support I've gotten from this story. I love you few reviewers that have stuck with me for the entire story- since the beginning. Thank you so much (you know who you are)!**

**~REVIEWS~**

**WaterStar45: MY GOD I SHIP SOOOO MUCH IN FAIRY TAIL**

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_**Previously:**_

_Evergreen and I returned to a finished guild building, heads held high. The guild looked even better, if possible. We walked in to cheers. Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Erza immediately rushed over to me. "How was it?" "Did you learn something new?" "Can you beat Natsu in a fight?" "She so CAN'T, Ice-Princess!"_

"_Hey, hey, calm down," I squeaked, laughing. "I can try to show you." As the members looked reluctant, I laughed. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt."_

"_Fine." Gritting his teeth, Gray stepped up. I smiled. He trusts me…_

"_Okay, here it goes!" I stared at Gray. Then I twitched my eyes._

_Nobody moved. Especially not Gray. _

"_I don't get it!" Natsu whined. "Nothing happened."_

"_Flame Brain?" Gray called, still unmoving. "Haven't you noticed? I'm paralyzed." It was true. As much as Gray wanted to, he could only speak._

_People applauded. I did a dramatic bow, laughing. Snapping my fingers, Gray returned back to his non-paralyzed self. _

"_Do it on me!" Natsu yelled. I shrugged. So, I concentrated, and vibrated my eyes._

"_Have you done it yet?" Natsu cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms._

"_What?" I narrowed my eyes. "Why doesn't it work?" Then a thought dawned on me. "You don't mean…"_

_I swivelled my gaze to Gajeel, who was munching on iron in the corner. I vibrated my eyes. Gajeel raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"_

"_It doesn't work on Dragon Slayers…" I whispered._

_Natsu cheered. "Yes! Now Nikki can't use that on me!"_

_I punched him. "Don't get all cocky."_

_And alas, the guild was back to normal._

_Mostly._

**Chapter 23: Return of Lightning Palace, Part 1**

**Nicole's POV**

"Hey, Nikki!" I flinched as Natsu slightly burned my shoulder. I whacked his hand away and glared at him. "Wanna fight?"

"Why don't you go and eat a cactus or something," I cried in exasperation, throwing my hands up in the air. Lucy giggled from beside me.

Natsu cocked his head sideways to look at me. "You can actually eat cactuses? I've never had a cactus before."

"No," I gasped, shaking my head, "I didn't mean-"

"Come on, Happy!" Natsu cheered. "Let's go eat a cactus!"

"Aye, sir…" Happy shouted before droning off. "Wait, what?"

"Nicole told me to go eat a cactus!" Natsu cheered excitedly. "So I'm going to go find one to eat!"

Happy sighed. "Natsu, I don't think-"

"YOU IDIOT!" I slammed my palm into the side of his head and he went crashing back against the tables. Jet jumped up from his seat in order to avoid the flying Fire Dragon Slayer. I stalked over to him as he cowered. "You can't actually eat cactuses! I just wanted to get you to stop begging me to fight!"

Natsu looked up at me with a mixed look of awe and fear as realization dawned on his face. He grinned. "Well, you started fighting me, didn't you?"

Then realization dawned on me. I clenched my fists. "Oh God, Natsu…"

"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" Droy screamed, running off with a chicken drumstick in his hand. Gajeel picked Levy up from her spot, and ignoring her protesting, he set her down and cracked his knuckles, smirking. Lisanna ducked behind the bar with Mira and Laki jumped with Kinana to head up to the safety of the second floor.

"AAAAAAA!" The icy blue aura ignited around my fist. "Ice Dragon Icy Fist!" I smashed my fist into Natsu's stomach. But Natsu wasn't there anymore. He shifted out of the way and kicked me up across the room with his feet.

Temporarily winded, I flew towards the back wall in the direction of Gajeel. I twisted myself around so my feet were aiming for his face. As soon as I neared Gajeel, my feet implanted themselves on his face and I boosted myself back in Natsu's direction.

"Sorry, Gajeel!" I called as I flew back over to Natsu. "ICE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

The icy gust of wind and ice blasted Natsu into the far table. I turned behind me to see a very angry Gajeel glaring at me. He shot his Iron Dragon's Club in my direction, but swiftly, I jumped back and the club sailed towards the far end of the guild.

"Oh, dear," Mira sighed sweetly. "They're at it again." The recently-back-in-Fairy-Tail Laxus Dreyar nodded in assent. Lisanna giggled.

I have now been included as one of the scariest females in Fairy Tail- out of three, I'm behind Mira and Erza- but my magic is a secret for only our guild. If someone hears me, they assume it's Gray and Natsu fighting. You know, ice? Dragon Slayer? Maybe the secret will be handy later.

Anyways, Gajeel's iron club misses Natsu too and hits a table leg, causing the table to collapse. Erza glares at the Iron Dragon Slayer as her cake tips over onto the ground. "GAJEEL…"

"Crap!" Gajeel squeaks, hiding behind a protesting Levy. Erza jumps over the tables and swings a sword at Gajeel, who barely blocks.

"Ice-Make Shield!" Gray blocks Natsu's fire attack from killing him as he launches a counter-attack. Lucy is hiding under the table, next to Wendy.

"Ice Dragon Roar!" My roar hits Natsu in the back and he sprawls forward into Elfman. Elfman punches the Salamander into a fuming Erza, who gladly kicks him back towards Gajeel.

Natsu, the human volleyball, is becoming very frustrated. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

A small family of two parents and a small baby boy walked by the guild. Taking one look, they laughed, and continued on home. Nothing has changed about us, no matter how long we were away.

*****:::~~~…**

It came to the guild's realization that we're seven years behind everyone else. So, in retaliation, everyone has joined their teams to go train. Lucy suggested a beach and Erza leaped at the idea, so Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Jet, Droy, Levy, and I are all leaving for the beach tomorrow.

Lucy and I immediately went home to pack. I reluctantly threw in a green and silver bikini with all my other clothes as we packed. Lucy was humming as she packed, excited and anticipating our trip. But something was nagging me. I wasn't sure what.

Lucy's spirit Plue was carrying around clothes for Lucy, and the Celestial Mage didn't seem to mind. He was helping me pack my stuff, too- and he was a good help.

"Oh!" Lucy gasped. "I forgot my sweater at the guild! I'll go back and get it." She stands up, and for some reason I get a heavy feeling of dread.

"No!" I bark. When Lucy looks at me strangely, I stutter to cover up my mistake. "I forgot something too. _I'll_ go get them. The pink sweater, right?" She nods, still staring at me strangely. "Alright then, see you soon!" I dash out of the room. I hear Lucy calling my name but I ignore her and hurry to the guild.

Walking along the streets, I tuck my hands in my jean pockets and speed-walk towards the guild. The weight is growing on my chest- _something is happening tonight. Something dangerous._

The air around me begins to smell different. Like a husky, evil kind of different. I'm only halfway to the guild… _What is this smell?…_

"Waaaaah!" From behind me, a small childish wail cuts through the silence of the night. I turn to see a petite girl with long black hair and huge blue eyes crying on the street behind me. She runs towards me and hugs my leg. "They're chasing me! They're chasing me!"

I bend down to the girl's height. "Who's chasing you?"

"Mean people…" The girl sobs into the hem of my sweater. I pat her head and stand up straight.

"I'll stop them, okay?" I say cautiously. I slowly walk forward and begin to smell a stronger version of the evil, husky scent.

"Turn around with your arms up."

A cold voice matching the vile scent rasps from behind me. I turn and raise my arms above my head. There are three guys standing there, one with a gun pressed to the side of the whimpering girl's head. "Move and she dies," the man with the gun hisses. All men have a black mask over their face and it's hard to distinguish any facial features. However, the voice and the scent are very familiar…

"I'm not moving," I point out, frozen in place. Then, staring him down through the eye wholes in his mask, I twitch my eyes.

"What did you just do?" The man grunts.

I turn to the terrified little girl. "Walk over here with me."

The girl's eyes are brimming with tears. "But he'll shoot me!"

"I promise he won't," I sooth. "Walk towards me, please, if you want to live."

The girl shakes her head frantically. Then, after a long hesitation, she slowly walks towards me, her eyes never once wavering from the gun.

And the man doesn't move.

The girl runs up and hugs my around the legs again. The two men beside the front guy gasp and make unrecognizable noises. "What was that?"

I grin at them. "Sorry, we'll be leaving." With a wave of my hands, they're all frozen in a block of ice. I stare down at the girl. "Are you all right?"

The girl nods. "That was so cool!"

I ruffle her hair. "Good. I'm Nicole. What's your name?"

"Ayako," she squeaks. I smile down at her. Then Ayako's eyes widen as she stares at something behind me.

Then I'm hit on the back of the head and I black out.


	24. Lightning Palace: Less than an Hour

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 24! Hallelujah! **

**You guys are in for a treat! This is an extra long chapter! If you enjoy it, please tell me so I can write more super-long chapters. And we are so close to 100 reviews! I really hope we can get that far! Arigatou! **

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**FairyTailLuver: Really? I believe it's called nystagmus. **

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_**Previously: **_

_I turn to the terrified little girl. "Walk over here with me."_

_The girl's eyes are brimming with tears. "But he'll shoot me!"_

"_I promise he won't," I sooth. "Walk towards me, please, if you want to live."_

_The girl shakes her head frantically. Then, after a long hesitation, she slowly walks towards me, her eyes never once wavering from the gun._

_And the man doesn't move. _

_The girl runs up and hugs my around the legs again. The two men beside the front guy gasp and make unrecognizable noises. "What was that?" _

_I grin at them. "Sorry, we'll be leaving." With a wave of my hands, they're all frozen in a block of ice. I stare down at the girl. "Are you all right?"_

_The girl nods. "That was so cool!"_

_I ruffle her hair. "Good. I'm Nicole. What's your name?"_

"_Ayako," she squeaks. I smile down at her. Then Ayako's eyes widen as she stares at something behind me._

_Then I'm hit on the back of the head and I black out._

**Chapter 24: Return of Lightning Palace, Part 2**

**Gray's POV**

Something is frustrating me.

I'm not sure what, and that's what's bothering me so much. I shake myself. "Get over it," I grumble. "There's nothing wrong." But I still can't sleep.

I sit up in my bed and stare around the room. The room is messy, cluttered, and has different images and paintings over the wall, courtesy of Reedus. He draws pictures for the sake of drawing pictures, and he's given me a few. One side of my wall is littered with the artist's work.

In one drawing he drew Ur. From descriptions and old pictures. Reedus drew it for me when I first joined the guild and I treasured it ever since.

The next drawing was Team Natsu when we were first created. No Wendy or Nicole. Lucy had her arm wrapped around Natsu's shoulder, I was smirking, and Erza was being Erza- standing near the back with her sword drawn.

Next was one of Nicole. I'm not sure why I have it, I think he gave it to me to give to her while she was out training with Evergreen. She has her hair in its usual ponytail, and is grinning at the camera with a peace sign. I should have given it to her, but for some reason it's on my wall.

_Nicole…_

"Come on, hurry up, before we lose her!"

I hear muffled voices outside my back window. Dodging the piles of my belongings on the floor, I leap to the window to see a small girl with black hair running down the streets. There's a group of three men chasing her. What's going on?

Subconsciously, I strip off my shirt and leap out the window. Dashing down the streets, I spot the three men turn a corner. "Ice Make: Floor!" I roar, creating a solid floor of ice making its way to the chasers. The three slip and fall down onto the ice with a crack.

"I've got you now," I bellow, sliding down towards the trio. One rolls over on the ice and points a long gold rod at me. Unable to slow my momentum, I get closer until-

BANG!

I fly backwards and hit my head against the wall of a house or store or something- I didn't stop to check. Frustrated, I stand back up again and stagger onwards again. Mentally cursing myself, I slide forward slowly, attempting to pursue the ones I tripped up. But they were gone.

"Dammit!" I holler fiercely, my voice echoing in the cold air. I sigh and put my hands in my pants pockets- wait, where are my pants?

*****:::~~~…**

**Nicole's POV**

"Ugh." Sitting up, I move my hand to rub the huge bump on the back of my head. But… I can't move my hand.

Groggily sitting up, I find out that I'm in a dark room with my hands wrapped in chains and hooked to the ceiling. I grab the chains with my hands and hoist myself up. The room isn't exactly large, but the cage door- did I really just say cage?- is on my right near the back of the room. My arms begin to hurt. _God, how long will I be hanging here?_

"Ayako!" I'm fully alert now. Where's Ayako? Did they get her too? Is she safe? Who's the people who even kidnapped me? Oh. This situation reminds me a lot of Tenrou.

I try to freeze my chains. My magic immediately fuses out. _Right. Anti-magic chains. Now, where have I seen these before?_

Ah, good old Tenrou Island. Good old Destroyers.

Well, they're dead now.

Staring down, my feet dangle a good foot off the ground. Frustrating myself, I try to pull myself up to the top of the chains to see if there's any way to undo them. I eventually tug myself up and have my hands fixed at the top chain. I can already fell my hands starting to blister. _Hmm… doesn't seem to be anything here._

Then someone walks in.

It's a tall man with spiky purple hair. He has an eye patch over one ice and is radiating a cold, evil presence. I raise my eyebrows at him as he stares at me peculiarly.

"What are you doing hanging onto the top of the chain?" he muses. It's the same voice of the man who held a gun to Ayako's head.

"Exercising?…" I reply lamely. The man chuckles and I swear I've met him somewhere before. "Sorry, do I know you?"

"Yes," the purple haired man replies through gritted teeth. "You first introduced yourself as an Ice Dragon Slayer. Seven years ago."

"What?" I kept it a secret! Why would I… Oh.

"Golfer?"

…**~~~:::*****

**Normal POV**

"Has anyone seen Nicole?" Lucy burst into the guild the next morning, panting and out of breath.

"Why?" Natsu asked. "Is Nikki missing?" Several members leaned in towards Lucy to listen intently to her explanation.

"She left for the guild last night to pick up my sweater for me," Lucy explained at a rapid pace, "And I haven't seen her since."

"Well," Macao grumbled, "She didn't make it here." The guild fixated their eyes on him. Macao shrugged. "What? Lucy's sweater is still here, so obviously she didn't get here." He gestured to a pink lump of clothing on the back table. Lucy paled.

"Last night I saw this trio of guys chasing a young girl." Gray attracted the attention of the guild next. "The girl had long black hair and must have been, like 6 years old." For his own convince, he left out the part that he chased and lost them.

"Doesn't ring a bell," Wakaba grumbled.

"Who are you?" Natsu asked suddenly. Everyone turned to Natsu's direction. A average-sized mane as standing in the doorway. The man had long royal blue hair and dark eyes. He was carrying a small blue ball in his hands and stared down everyone at the guild.

"You can't just walk in here like you own the place," Natsu snarled. "What do you want?" The Fire Dragon's fist ignited into a bright flame.

The man didn't speak, he simply held out the light blue crystal.

"What's going on?" Makarov emerged from his office. He stared down the new arrival. "Well, from what I heard, Nicole is missing, and now we have a visitor. What's your name?"

Again, the man didn't speak.

"Mute…" Makarov muttered.

"I know you." Gray stood up in his seat, shirtless and defiant. Many stared at him as he pointed an accusing finger at the figure. "I remember you from somewhere. Who are you?"

The blue-haired man threw the crystal ball into the air. The ball emitted a bright light before Master Makarov caught it. And in a flash, the man was gone. The last thing they saw was a lightning shaped symbol on his shoulder.

"Lightning Palace!" Gray roared, banging his fists on the table. "That's where he's from! Nicole and I met them in Mount Hakobe." Juvia pouted, frustrated about how her beloved Gray-sama continued to fuss over Nicole.

"Isn't that a thieving guild?" Lucy wondered aloud.

"Gah!" The blue crystal rolled onto the table as Makarov watched intently. Then, another bright light flashed as a large blue rectangle appeared. The entire guild gathered behind Makarov as an image was projected. "It's a communications lacrima! A projected version!"

"IS THIS THING ON?" Someone screamed from the blue rectangle. Some of the guild covered their ears. When the image cleared, a tall man with purple hair was seen on the screen. He smirked at the camera. "Ah, Fairy Tail. I see Marco brought you the lacrima as planned."

"Who are you?" Makarov roared.

"Lightning Palace," the man introduced, widening his arms.

"And what do you want?"

"Hasty, are we? My name is Golfer-"

"You!" Gray slammed his palm on the table and stared at Golfer. "Mount Hakobe!"

The man grimaced. "Not one of my finer moments. But yes, I remember that. You got away."

"Damn right we did," Gray snarled.

"Ah. Yes. You had the female partner-" Juvia was fuming in the corner- "Nicole, was it? The Ice Dragon Slayer?"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" Gray and Natsu shouted simultaneously.

"Nothing. Yet." Golfer moved away from the screen to show an unconscious Nicole hanging from chains in the far corner of the room.

"NICOLE!" Many guild members yelled, throwing themselves towards the screen.

Golfer tsk-tsked. "Don't do anything rash, and she won't get hurt."

"What?…" Nicole shook herself and raised her head. "Was it_ really_ necessary to knock me out again?" She then saw the screen and the panicked faces of the Fairy Tail members. "What the-"

"Say hello to your guild mates," Golfer smirked. "It may be the last time you see them in a while."

Nicole frowned. "What do you want?"

"A ransom," Golfer stated, finally getting down to the point. "You want your precious member back? Then we want 1,000,000 Jewels. And the longer you wait, the longer we get to torture her."

"WHAT?!" The Fairy Tail member roared in fury. Nicole included.

"That's right," Golfer smirked. "And trust me…" he stalked up to Nicole and touched her cheek. "She's a pretty one. You wouldn't want the rest of my guild mates to torture her too, hmm?"

From behind the screen, Nicole aimed a powerful kick to Golfer's sensitive spot. The man howled and stumbled away. Nicole turned back to the camera to see the shocked faces of her guild mates. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm Fairy Tail, aren't I?" She grinned. One person in Fairy Tail even had the nerve to chuckle.

Golfer hopped back into camera view. "You'll regret that, girlie."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Never."

"Marco will come over in three days to collect the ransom money. Hurt him and you won't see Nicole again," Golfer threatened.

"Come as soon as possible," Makarov hissed. "We have the money."

"Master, no!" Nicole screeched. "You need the money to repair the guild. Don't worry about me."

"Three days," Golfer said, holding up three fingers. "And you don't know where we are, so attack is useless."

"They're in Carbin Canyon, south of Magnolia!" Nicole called.

Silence.

Then, _"How did you figure that out?!"_ Golfer screeched.

"It was easy," Nicole scoffed. "I'm not stupid."

"Let's go then!" Gray called. "We have to leave now!"

"Crap," Golfer cursed. He stalked over to Nicole and grabbed her ponytail, tugging her head upwards. "Any last words to them?"

Nicole gave a sad grin. "Move on. If I'm dead when you get here, move on. It'll be fine. Don't grieve forever. Fairy Tail gave me a light and helped me move on. I'll never forget any of you." Her eyes rested on Gray for a brief moment. "Thank you for everything."

"Why are you so sure you will perish?" Makarov inquired.

"Oh, we haven't mentioned?" Golfer hissed. He grabbed the bottom of Nicole's jacket and lifted it up to her ribcage. There were no longer bandages, and there was a clear gaping knife-shaped hole in her stomach.

Lucy covered her mouth, horrified. Gray and Natsu watched in shock. Anger flared into Erza's eyes. Makarov was shaking uncontrollably.

"They reopened the cut," Nicole whispered. "I'll be dead in less than an hour…"

The vision blurred. A high pitched scream erupted from the Lightning Palace's end of the communication.

The lacrima vision shut off. 

**MWAHAHAHAHAHA CLIFFIES ARE MY LIFE**

**So lucky for you, there's more! I love you guys XD**

The floor underneath Nicole was splatted in blood. Gasping, Nicole cradled her body around the knife hole as Golfer laughed. "Oh, look at you shiver! You were much more confident back in Mount Hakobe, weren't you?"

"Go… away…" Nicole whispered.

"No." Golfer slashed out a knife and it grazed Nicole's cheek, also slicing the hair elastic that held her light brown hair up. Nicole's locks cascaded around her face, blood slowly running down her cheek. Gritting her teeth, the Ice Dragon swung her foot up and missed Golfer narrowly as he stepped backwards.

"Still control ice?" Nicole asked feebly.

Golfer, to her shock, shook his head. "I forgot about it in order to focus all my attention to a new style of magic." He cackled wildly. "Insanity magic."

Nicole's eyes widened. Golfer continued. "I can channel my insanity into another person to internally torturing them, making them see their worst fears and nothing they can do to stop it. I can drive one to madness itself."

He raised his palm, which started crackling with black lightning-like magic. "You'll be the first test subject."

Nicole didn't stop screaming for a long time.

**Nicole's POV**

Screaming, I wanted to fight out the madness, push it out of my brain, but it was driving its way in like a needle, puncturing my lungs and brain and heart and-

I was sitting in the Fairy Tail guild. Everyone was sitting around me, munching happily on food or chatting. I smiled at every member. _Fairy Tail! I'm here!_

Then, Lucy, who was sitting in front of me, coughed up blood and dropped dead.

Soon, everyone was dropping dead off their feet, blood cluttering the guild floor. I frantically tried to rush from person to person, trying to save them all, but they were all dead as soon as they hit the floor. Suddenly, Gray walked in the doors of the guild. I turned to him, hoping for an explanation, but he only pointed a finger at me and whispered in a low, raspy voice.

"You killed them all. You're the reason we're dead."

Then he too coughed blood and fell. I was screaming and screaming and screaming but nothing was changing.

_They're all dead… And it's all my fault.._

_NO! _The scene vanished. I sobbed in relief. _Only a dream, only a dream, only a dream…_

_No. It's the insanity. It's prying at my every fear, trying to twist everything into madness and make me fall victim…_

The entire Fairy Tail guild was standing in front of me. I smiled brightly and ran towards them. But then Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Erza stepped out and glared at me.

"You're way to weak," Lucy sneered in a voice that sounded nothing like Lucy.

"You're just a burden to us," Natsu smirked.

"You hate yourself and are useless in a battle," Erza snarled.

"You waste our time," Gray spat. "We're leaving you for good."

Then all of Fairy Tail turned and disappeared, leaving me sobbing and screaming on the dusty floor.

_Abandonment. Another fear._

_I'm going to die. I can't hold on this long. I feel like I'm being torn apart. I don't know if I can do this._

"Don't give up!"

My vision was fogging, but that was clearly Gray standing in front of me. "You have to keep going. We're coming to save you. I promise. You need to hang on a little longer."

"I can't do it," I whisper. Gray pulls me in for a hug and I sob against his shoulder. _It feels so real…_

"You can," he urged. "And you've got to. You're stronger than that."

I cried a bit more and took a deep, shaky breath. "I can do this. I can do this."

Gray smiled at me. "I know you can. We believe in you."

Then Gray faded. I wanted him back! He made me feel so much more safer, gave me hope, and…

_And nothing. I need to stay alive. I can do this. I am strong._

Confidently, I strode into the next scene.

Liliana.

I was so not prepared.

Liliana looked so much like I last remember. Long blonde hair, bright blue eyes. A small pink flower pinned by her bangs. A short blue dress and a gold necklace. Strappy gold shoes.

She smiled at me. Smiled. "Nicole!"

"Liliana…"

Then a bullet hole appeared in her forehead. She smiled at me again. I covered my eyes. Wanting this nightmare to go away, this replay of her death, it all had to vanish. I couldn't handle this.

_I need to be brave. _I opened my eyes and stared down Liliana. She smiled. "You killed me."

Her voice… her voice sounded just like it was so long ago. I choked back a sob and bit my lip. "No, Liliana. I didn't kill you. The Destroyers did."

"But they were originally trying to kill you," she pointed out, the neat hole in her forehead not bothering her at all. "But you lived. I died."

I inhaled. "Stop. Liliana." I exhaled. I shut my eyes. When I opened them again, she was gone.

_I am fighting this madness. I can win. I can._

**Normal POV**

"Move, move, move!" Makarov yelled fiercely. "We need to get to Carbin Canyon now! Nicole's life is at stake!"

"Let's go!" Erza roared. "Our comrade is in danger. We must save her!" Fairy Tail gave a hearty cheer and began rushing for the guild exit.

"Where's Natsu-san?" Wendy asked timidly. Gray face-palmed.

"God dammit, he left early again."

…**~~~:::*****

"What's going on…" Golfer twisted his palm over once more and the lightning struck Nicole again. But her screams were dying out. "Is she dying? No, she's breathing…"

Golfer frowned, and thrust even more black lightning into the Ice Dragon Slayer's body. Nicole flinched, but nothing changed. Her screams were barely more than a whisper now.

"This is not good," Golfer muttered. "I need to kill her." Then he grinned.

"Excruciating pain, mixed with madness. This will surely kill her." Cackling, he pressed both palms together, and a red light mixed with the black.

"Unlock: Second Origin."


	25. Lightning Palace: Screams

**Welcome to Secrets Can Kill, number 25!**

**Wow, a quarter of the way to 100! Thanks, everyone! I'm so happy I even made it this far! On to the next chapter!**

**And by the way, I'm not responding to reviews anymore. If you have a question, you can PM me. Sorry, but I'm so busy I can barely write the chapter anymore.**

_**Previously:**_

"_Move, move, move!" Makarov yelled fiercely. "We need to get to Carbin Canyon now! Nicole's life is at stake!"_

"_Let's go!" Erza roared. "Our comrade is in danger. We must save her!" Fairy Tail gave a hearty cheer and began rushing for the guild exit._

"_Where's Natsu-san?" Wendy asked timidly. Gray face-palmed._

"_God dammit, he left early again."_

…_**~~~:::*****_

"_What's going on…" Golfer twisted his palm over once more and the lightning struck Nicole again. But her screams were dying out. "Is she dying? No, she's breathing…"_

_Golfer frowned, and thrust even more black lightning into the Ice Dragon Slayer's body. Nicole flinched, but nothing changed. Her screams were barely more than a whisper now._

"_This is not good," Golfer muttered. "I need to kill her." Then he grinned._

"_Excruciating pain, mixed with madness. This will surely kill her." Cackling, he pressed both palms together, and a red light mixed with the black. _

"_Unlock: Second Origin."_

**Chapter 25: Return of Lightning Palace, Part 3**

**Nicole's POV**

…What is this?

Excruciating pain. It feels like a hundred white hot knives have pierced every pressure point in my body. It was fine before, but now it's so much worse.

Screaming. More and more screaming. Maybe screaming will drown out the pain.

No? Not working? Maybe I have to scream louder…

Pain.

**Normal POV**

"Go, go, go!" Jet hollered as he ran.

"Easy for you to say," Laxus grumbled, "You've got speed powers." He glanced up to see Gray, who hadn't even bothered to crack a smile. _He's taking this way too hard, _Laxus thought.

"I can help."

There was a strange, unfamiliar voice that stopped all of Fairy Tail (with the exception of Jet, who was so far ahead that he didn't even notice the guy). A man appeared out of nowhere, with shaggy black hair and in council robes.

Makarov raised his eyebrows. "Doranbolt?"

The man called Doranbolt raised _his_ eyebrows. "I felt a summoning here, but I can't explain why. I overheard the entire thing. I want to help." The shocked guild members quickly recovered from the shock. Rapidly explaining his magic, the group huddled close as the council member concentrated.

It took all of Doranbolt's energy, but soon enough the group was standing in the Canyon, a large black castle not far away. The castle had a flag in the front, with a blood red lightning bolt on it. There were guards stationed at several points on the castle as well. The council member, panting, slumped against the canyon wall. "I've done all I can. Good luck."

"Why?"

Gray's quiet whisper echoed from the back of the group.

"Why did you help us?"

"I…" Doranbolt searched for an answer, but came up short. "I'm not sure."

"We're wasting time!" Lucy snapped.

Makarov nodded. "She's right. Let's-"

"Hey! How'd you get here faster than me?" The pink-haired Dragon Slayer had arrived.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Come on, Natsu! Nicole could be dying while we speak!"

And so, with a loud cheer, the guild charged, Natsu still grumbling as they ran.

**Nicole's POV**

I can sense them.

The Fairy Tail guild._ My_ guild. Lucy, Gray, Natsu, Erza, Happy, Gajeel, Levy, Wendy, Master Makarov, Carla, everyone. They're here.

Maybe if I scream loud enough, they'll hear me.

No?

Okay.

I'll stop.

It's dark. Dark, hollow, silence.

I like it.

Pain. Red marks over my skin. Beatings. Pain, torture!

I scream.

**Normal POV**

"Golfer!" Sterling, a pudgy man with thick eyebrows, burst into the torture room where the limp body of the Ice Dragon Slayer was. Golfer raised his eyebrows and turned towards the sudden entrance of his guild mate.

"What is it, Sterling?" Golfer snapped. "I'm busy."

Sterling paled. "The girl's guild! Fairy Tail! They're here!"

Golfer cursed under his breath. "How'd they get here so quickly? It should have been at least half an hour on foot!"

"Golfer, they're already here!" Sterling protested, ignoring his question. "Leave the girl!"

An evil smile crossed Golfer's wicked face. "I'll take her with me."

Sterling could only watch in confusion as Golfer unshackled Nicole's chains and began dragging her limp form up stairs, to the highest tower.

*****:::~~~…**

"_MOVE!"_ Gray hurtled past several Lightning Palace members and burst into the doors. He turned back to see Erza. "I'm going to find Nicole!"

The scarlet-haired beauty nodded. "Be quick!" She swung another sword and a screaming Lightning Palace member quickly fell. "We can handle things here!"

Nodding, Gray turned and tore his gaze forward, proceeding forward at an alarmingly fast pace. Turning a corner, however, a group of guild members, all bearing the Lightning Palace crest, stood in his way.

"Out of the way!"

Gray, creating his signature 'Ice Make: Floor!' continued on while his enemies kept slipping on his blanket of ice. "Nicole!"

A scream.

Gray paused and listened at a fork in the castle passageways. There were three passages- one leading straight forward, one leading right, and one leading left. Where did the scream come from? "Nicole! NICOLE!"

Another scream.

Gray took the left path.


	26. Lightning Palace: She's Dying

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter… 26?**

_**Previously:**_

"_Golfer!" Sterling, a pudgy man with thick eyebrows, burst into the torture room where the limp body of the Ice Dragon Slayer was. Golfer raised his eyebrows and turned towards the sudden entrance of his guild mate._

"_What is it, Sterling?" Golfer snapped. "I'm busy."_

_Sterling paled. "The girl's guild! Fairy Tail! They're here!"_

_Golfer cursed under his breath. "How'd they get here so quickly? It should have been at least half an hour on foot!"_

"_Golfer, they're already here!" Sterling protested, ignoring his question. "Leave the girl!"_

_An evil smile crossed Golfer's wicked face. "I'll take her with me."_

_Sterling could only watch in confusion as Golfer unshackled Nicole's chains and began dragging her limp form up stairs, to the highest tower._

_*****:::~~~…**_

"_MOVE!" Gray hurtled past several Lightning Palace members and burst into the doors. He turned back to see Erza. "I'm going to find Nicole!"_

_The scarlet-haired beauty nodded. "Be quick!" She swung another sword and a screaming Lightning Palace member quickly fell. "We can handle things here!"_

_Nodding, Grat turned and tore his gaze forward, proceeding forward at an alarmingly fast pace. Turning a corner, however, a group of guild members, all bearing the Lightning Palace crest, stood in his way._

"_Out of the way!"_

_Gray, creating his signature 'Ice Make: Floor!' continued on while his enemies kept slipping on his blanket of ice. "Nicole!"_

_A scream._

_Gray paused and listened at a fork in the castle passageways. There were three passages- one leading straight forward, one leading right, and one leading left. Where did the scream come from? "Nicole! NICOLE!"_

_Another scream._

_Gray took the left path._

**Chapter 26: Return of Lightning Palace, Part 4**

**Normal POV**

Terror coursing through Gray, the ice mage turned down corner after corner as he followed the screams. There weren't many rooms down here, besides cages, so it gave him easy view of what was in each cage. He had to nail one guard in the head but otherwise, that was all he saw.

"Nicole!"

The screams were getting louder and closer. Picking up his pace and putting his faith in adrenaline, Gray put an extra burst on the speed and ran down a long stretch of stone floor. The screams were coming from a room at the end.

Footsteps echoing on the cold ground, Gray grimaced, and grabbed the cage bar and swung himself into the cage. "Nicole?…"

Said Ice Dragon Slayer was in a horrible state. Her hair was matted, torn, and dirty, and hung in clumps around her face. She had a scar over one side of her face, and fresh blood was streaming out of the corner of her mouth as she screamed. Nicole's tank top was torn and the middle dyed crimson- her knife cut had indeed been opened up and was pouring new blood by the second. Her legs and arms were cut, bruised, and scraped, but to make it all worse, there were thick red lines wrapping themselves around her body, and they obviously weren't good for her.

Nicole was being dragged across the floor by a tall man with purple hair.

"You!" Gray hissed, pointing a finger.

"Yes, me," Golfer hissed back. "Now if you'd be kind enough to get out of my way, she won't get hurt." He brandished a knife and twirled it around his fingers.

Gray hesitated.

"Exactly," Golfer grinned. He pointed the knife at Nicole's neck.

Gray raised his hands above his head. Golfer hissed in pleasure.

"Good, good. Now come with me."

Hands shaking, Gray followed Golfer, watching for any opening where Golfer would move the knife anywhere else than Nicole's throat, but no such luck. Cursing himself five times over, Gray ascended some stairs behind the Lightning Palace member.

Golfer reached the top of the tower and pushed Gray into a wall. Grimacing as his head hit the back, Gray shook himself and glared at Golfer.

The purple-haired man stared down at the battle. Watching it, Gray could immediately tell Fairy Tail was winning. Erza was flying through the ranks like she was having a field day, Lucy had summoned Aquarius from a nearby stream and was washing a good number of troops away. Natsu was a tornado of fire, burning anyone who dared come near him. Happy was picking up random members and throwing them at each other. But Makarov was definitely memorable- he had turned into a giant and ripped off a far tower and was now swinging it like a baseball bat.

"BEHOLD!" Golfer's voice echoed through the battle, causing heads to turn his way, Fairy Tail and Lightning Palace alike. "Your Ice Dragon Slayer!" He pulled Nicole up by her hair and pulled her over the edge of the wall. One wrong move and he'd drop her. Into… into the stream. She'd never survive the fall.

Choruses of "No!" echoed throughout the member of Fairy Tail. Gray wanted to lunge, but was afraid Nicole would fall in the process. Then he got an idea…

Strategizing to himself, Gray inched his way forward until he was a few feet away from Golfer. The Lightning Palace member didn't notice as he was too busy gloating to shocked Fairy Tail menbers and gleeful guild mates.

Gray lunged.

Putting all his energy and all his strength into it, he lunged. His feet pushed off the ground as he propelled himself forward, arms outstretched, diving forward. But not at Golfer.

At Nicole.


	27. Lightning Palace: Stubborn

**Welcome to Secrets Can Kill, chapter 27!**

**Thank you for all the support- and believe it or not, we're almost at 100 reviews! I'm so grateful to those who have been reviewing this story. Love you all :D\**

_**Previously:**_

_Golfer reached the top of the tower and pushed Gray into a wall. Grimacing as his head hit the back, Gray shook himself and glared at Golfer._

_The purple-haired man stared down at the battle. Watching it, Gray could immediately tell Fairy Tail was winning. Erza was flying through the ranks like she was having a field day, Lucy had summoned Aquarius from a nearby stream and was washing a good number of troops away. Natsu was a tornado of fire, burning anyone who dared come near him. Happy was picking up random members and throwing them at each other. But Makarov was definitely memorable- he had turned into a giant and ripped off a far tower and was now swinging it like a baseball bat._

"_BEHOLD!" Golfer's voice echoed through the battle, causing heads to turn his way, Fairy Tail and Lightning Palace alike. "Your Ice Dragon Slayer!" He pulled Nicole up by her hair and pulled her over the edge of the wall. One wrong move and he'd drop her. Into… into the stream. She'd never survive the fall._

_Choruses of "No!" echoed throughout the member of Fairy Tail. Gray wanted to lunge, but was afraid Nicole would fall in the process. Then he got an idea…_

_Strategizing to himself, Gray inched his way forward until he was a few feet away from Golfer. The Lightning Palace member didn't notice as he was too busy gloating to shocked Fairy Tail menbers and gleeful guild mates._

_Gray lunged._

_Putting all his energy and all his strength into it, he lunged. His feet pushed off the ground as he propelled himself forward, arms outstretched, diving forward. But not at Golfer._

_At Nicole._

**Chapter 27: Return of Lightning Palace, Part 5**

**Normal POV**

Catching Golfer by surprise, the ice-make mage wrapped his arms around the Ice Dragon Slayer's waist and yanked her from the Lightning Palaces' member's grip. Tightening his grip, he pulled one hand up to her head and tucked it into his shoulder, ignoring the gasps of shock and the shouts of outrage coming from both sides of the battle. Face peeling of in the wind, Gray grimaced, and took a peek over Nicole's shoulder to the ground below.

Natsu.

Blinking, Gray realized he couldn't land safely without hurting Nicole. Loosening his grip (only slightly) he looked down at the mix of fire and chaos- a sure sign Natsu was there.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Gray yelled the Fire Dragon Slayer's name.

"NATSU!"

Understanding immediately (wow, he caught on surprisingly fast) Natsu punched the nearest opponent away and created a wall of flame, leaving him several feet of space on either side that no one dared to get into, unless they had a death wish. Natsu reached his arms up to the sky, grinning despite the insanity of the situation.

"I knew you'd have to rely on me someday, Ice Princess!"

Gray smirked. He'd deal with Natsu later. But for the time being, he had to worry about Nicole.

He dropped her.

Nicole's limp form fell through the air as Gray tucked his arms over his face. He trusted that Natsu would catch her. Now, if he were to help any further, he needed to survive the fall.

Erza plower her way through enemy after enemy as she made her way to Natsu, who had indeed caught Nicole safely. "Get her out of here!" she bellowed, making an arc with her sword, resulting in another enemy toppling to the ground.

Natsu stuck his lip out in a pout. "But I wanna stay and fight!"

"NOW!" Erza hollered, changing into her Fire Empress armour and charging through the flames.

Natsu paled. "Aye, sir!" He squeaked, and on cue, Happy and Carla swooped down to pick up the pair of Dragon Slayers.

Meanwhile, Gray was hurtling face first into the ground. He would have indeed suffered severe injuries if it wasn't for Makarov, who caught him with a giant fist at the last second.

"Thanks, Gramps!" Gray called before hopping to his feet and sprinting into the chaos. Makarov smiled slightly before turning his attention back to the battle. Without hesitation, he clapped both hands together and sank into a stance.

"FAIRY LAW."

A golden ball of light began growing between the leader of Fairy Tail's palms. Golfer wasn't finished, though. With a mighty (and somewhat stupid) leap, he landed on the third master's hood, and blasted a great amount of black lightning at the giant.

Howling, Makarov's orb of light vanished. He frustratingly swat at the pesky figure, but Golfer was quicker than the lumbering giant. He hopped down and bolted into the chaos, evidently after the prize he had just lost.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy jumped up and down from her post on the ground and waved her arms frantically in an attempt to capture the Fire Dragon Slayer's attention. "Over here!"

Carla saw her. What a faithful exceed. They swooped down and Natsu immediately carried Nicole to the stretcher Wendy had prepared. Bisca and Alzack were stationed at the front of their make-shift camp, ready to blast anyone that came near. Gray burst into the area moments later and they all crowded around the Ice Dragon Slayer as Wendy worked her magic.

"There…. There's something wrong!" Wendy wailed. "I can heal the minor cuts and scratches, remove the bruises, and delay the knife wound from killing her-" Gray inhaled sharply- "but the red lines aren't fading." She was right- the red lines still circled themselves across Nicole's body, causing her to grind her teeth together. Gray grasped her hand for support and she squeezed his fingers so tight they began turning purple. "Why aren't they vanishing?"

"You're doing all you can, dear," Carla whispered. Natsu nodded in support. Wendy still looked pale and nervous.

"Her second origin."

Gray turned quickly, expecting to see Golfer, but instead they saw an elderly pink-haired lady with a stern face.

Wendy gasped. "Porlyusica-san!"

"Why are you here?" Natsu asked quickly.

"Jet got me on Master Makarov's orders," the healer explained simply. "Now let me see her."

After an agonizing one minute of inspection, Porlyusica applied some medicine and looked up. "Her second origin has been unlocked. The second origin holds and stores magical energy, so unleashing it brings much, much pain, but, if you survive, allows you to use more magical power in the process." She shifted Nicole's torn tank top to reveal a crimson knife wound. "With the reopening of the wound I _strictly told her not to mess with, _all the torture she's been through, and the second origin, she should have died a long time ago."

Wendy tensed, feeling the weight of the responsibility resting on her shoulders. Porlyusica sighed. "Wendy, dear, you're one of the reasons she's still alive now. You're doing fine." Wendy visibly relaxed.

"Then why isn't she dead?" Alzack called over his shoulder as he blasted another fighter that came too close for comfort.

"Because she's stubborn." Porlyusica mentioned dryly. "She's refusing to kick the bucket this soon."

Gray sighed softly. _That's Nicole for you._


	28. Recovery

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 28!**

**Maybe 100 reviews this chapter? Please? Pretty please? Pretty pretty please? Maybe? Maybe not? Hopefully?… Okay…**

**Thanks guys :)**

**Chapter 28: Recovery**

**Normal POV**

The battle was over.

Okay. Back up.

The battle was done as soon as Erza slammed the edge of her blade into the side of Golfer's head.

The remaining warriors retreated, the castle collapsed. All the Fairy Tail members made it out with minor injuries, of course, with the exception of Nicole. Porlyusica and Wendy stayed by her side day and night, monitoring her health and watching her breathing. Her most regular visitors were Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and Happy, but nobody visited more than Gray.

Gray spent at least seven hours a day by Nicole's bedside, holding her hand and watching her. He gave Wendy new supplies when she needed it, brought fresh water, and had to be knocked out by Natsu once in order to be dragged away for a mission.

Nicole's health was drastic. Every time she woke up, she was screaming from nightmares and horrible things that nobody understood. Her knife wound was slowly healing, but it was really bad to begin with. The red lines faded, and it was slightly easier for the Ice Dragon Slayer, but her second origin had been unlocked. Porlyusica stated, that if Nicole survived (the 'if' was not taken well) she would have so much magic power and be even stronger than ever. And after this was over, Porlyusica said, it would be a miracle if she pulled through completely fine, but she would be expected to barely tolerate pain anymore.

It was the stubbornness that kept her alive.

One day, when waking up screaming, she screamed the name "Ayako" over and over again. She repeated "Ayako! Castle!" over and over until Gray insisted they lead a search team there, and they did indeed find a small black-haired girl named Ayako. Returning her back to her parents made Gray feel slightly better.

The Grand Magic Games, a tournament to determine the strongest guild in Fairy Tail, was announced, and Team Natsu was forced to retreat to the beach to train align with several other members, because they were seven years behind everyone else. Wendy went too, as Porlyusica claimed she could watch Nicole.

And then they had to go to the spirit world for a party and miss almost the entire three months, which destroyed their egos.

On the last day or two left of training, Erza met up with Jellal.

Crime Sorciere was an amazing independent guild, in Erza's point of view. Juvia was exceptionally happy to see Meredy again. After exchanging greetings with Ultear, Meredy, and Jellal, Ultear offered to unlock their second origins.

Team Natsu paled.

"…You mean that thing that happened to Nicole?" Lucy squeaked. "No way."

Natsu pumped his fist in the air. "Awesome! Now we can get stronger!"

Gray slapped him upside the head. "Idiot. You remember what Nicole went through?"

"That's only because she was tortured too," Natsu replied, dismissing the question. "We'll be fine!"

"Um," Meredy coughed, clearing her throat. "Explain?"

Erza explained the quick version about Nicole, her history, when she joined, her torturement, and her second origin. Yet, the ever-so reckless and stubborn Team Natsu went on with it anyways.

And god, was it horrible. Poor Nicole- her's was ten times worse.

And all Gray could think about the entire time was what Nicole must have went through.

And when Team Natsu returned to the guild, Nicole was sitting at a far table, sipping a soda.

"_**NICOLE!"**_

Nicole was immediately squashed in a bone crushing hug before Porlyusica dragged Team Natsu off her. "She's still recovering," the pink-haired medicine lady snapped. "So lay off the physical contact."

But everyone was still so happy to see her.

Nicole refused to talk about what happened. "Brings back bad vibes." She crossed her legs and laced her fingers together. "How was your training?"

The team winced, mumbling something about second origins. Nicole sighed. "I'm sorry. That must have been difficult."

"Are you serious?" Gray exploded. "You went through ten times worse!"

"Better me than anyone else," she grumbled.

"We brought Ayako back," Lucy piped up.

Nicole brightened immensely. "Great! She was the girl I was saving the night I was kidnapped!"

The chat continued happily until the rest of the guild returned and Master Makarov exited his office to tell everyone about the Grand Magic Games team.

"It's going to be," Nicole declared, "You five." She jabbed her finger at Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, and Gray in turn.

"Thank you, Nicole-san," Wendy said modestly, "but I think you will!"

"I want to," Nicole murmured. Her expression was wistful. But the entire team was happy to have her back to normal.

"Attention, brats!" The master hollered. "Your training was all exceptional. The five I have selected for the team for the Grand Magic Games are-"

"Hold it!" Porlyusica barked. "I will not allow her to participate." She pointed across the guild hall at Nicole, who sighed in dismay.

"Come on! I haven't done anything in three months, mostly because you haven't let me." Although she grumbled the last part, Nicole's tone was firm.

"Exactly my point!" Porlyusica snapped.

Makarov sighed. "I understand, Porlyusica. So, for the team, we have;

"Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy."

There were cheers (Natsu and Gray) cries of shock (Lucy and Wendy) bursts of outrage and sadness (everyone else) and a fuming fit (Nicole).

Nicole forced a smile. "You're going to do great, guys."

"You bet we are!" Natsu cheered.

Gray sighed. "I wish you had been on the team." He lowered his gaze.

"Doesn't matter," Nicole said, although it obviously did matter. Gray let it drop.

Well, the Grand Magic Games started in two days. What would you expect?


	29. Grand Magic Games: Arrival

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 29!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OVER 100 REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**We're finally getting to the exciting part! The Grand Magic Games! EEEEEE I can't wait! I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 29: The Grand Magic Games, Part 1**

**Nicole's POV**

It was so unfair!

I wanted to be part of the Grand Magic Games team, but Master and Porlyusica aren't letting me. It's so no fair. I'm healed enough to be in the games! I've got new powers, kind of! They've got to let me!

And of course, they didn't.

We were sitting in a carriage that was taking us to the city- Crocus. Obviously,Natsu and I had bad motion sickness, so I spent most of my ride with my head hanging out the window, struggling to hold down my lunch. The odd time I opened my eyes, however, the scenery along the way looked beautiful. Trees and open, sprawling fields. Oh, what I would give to jump out of the carriage and leap through those fields…

I was in my traditional green sweater and jeans, with black boots and my hair pulled up in a pony tail. No different than normal, really. Lucy, Erza, Wendy, and Gray were all in the carriage as well, grinning pitifully at us. Lucy was massaging Natsu's back, and Natsu was actually looking slightly better with Lucy there. I tucked my head in from the window and brought my knees up to my chest.

"Ughhhhhh," I moaned, tilting my head back to rest against the seat. Erza smiled down at me, sympathy in her gaze.

"Why did you insist on coming with us?" Erza asked. "You're, uh…"

"Not part of the team?" I snapped. Erza raised her eyebrows and I sighed. "Sorry. Just-" the carriage lurched forward and my stomach hissed at me. "-not in the mood!"

Gray grimaced. "She's got a point though. Why'd you come along?"

"Because-" I winced as the carriage took a bump- "why not?"

Gray shook his head, grinning. "You're definitely stubborn, all right."

I managed a weak smile before collapsing again. Wendy groaned a bit from her crouched position in the corner and Erza patted her back (it's so unfair, how come she doesn't have motion sickness?). Lucy smiled at me, a hint of blush on her face as Natsu lay with his head out the window. Lucy rolled her thumbs around Natsu's back, massaging him. The small blush on Lucy's cheeks told many different stories.

Lolling my head to the side, I knew instantly my face was turning greener and greener. I sat up again and a wave of nausea washed over me and I lay back down- on top of something. I looked straight up and saw Gray's face. I'm laying on his legs.

"Sorry," I whispered, pulling myself up, but he put one hand on my forehead and pushed me down again.

"Rest. You're tired and sick."

I want to argue, but in all honestly, I'm exhausted. So I close my eyes and try to sleep on Gray's lap. When I open my eyes, I see he's blushing, and I'm pretty sure I am too. At one point I bolt straight up and hurl over the side of the carriage, causing Natsu to laugh before throwing up himself. Wendy giggled before feeling ashamed she couldn't help, causing her to go on a guilt trip that Lucy and Erza had to talk her out of. Yes, her Troiah spell didn't work on me for some reason.

I would've fallen out the window if it weren't for Gray's strong hands gripping my waist. As I fell back I fell against him again and passed out.

*****:::~~~…**

We finally arrived in Crocus and met the rest of the guild. The ground felt so much better than the carriage and I was so happy that I almost ran into several people. Meeting with the rest of the guild was comforting, but many people kept shooting me pitiful looks. I glared at everyone, my happy mood ruined. _I don't need pity- I need a way into these games! A chance to prove myself! I've done nothing for this guild except cause trouble!_

Then we explored.

Wendy and Carla said they would go out to sight see. Lucy dragged Natsu out with her. Erza disappeared somewhere. Soon, the entire guild dispersed.

I found myself with Gray again. "Want to look around?" Gray shrugged, nodded, and together we ventured off into the city.

"It's nice here, isn't it?" he said with a smile.

It turns out, it was hard to go anywhere with Gray. He subconsciously kept stripping off his shirt and I had to slap him in order for him to put his shirt back on. My stomach was aching- my knife wound hurt again. But nobody needs to know that, right?

"There's so many flowers!" I squealed, looking through rows of tulips and lilies. Gray sighed from behind me.

"You're such a girly girl."

I whirled around to glare him down. "Say that again."

"You're a-"

I nailed him in the face with my fist. Gray went flying backwards into the nearest building, knocking down several rows of flowers. When his head reappeared, he had a ring of gold flowers around his head and he was grinning madly. "Good to see you're still as good as normal."

I blushed. Then someone spoke. "Nice hit."

I turned around to see a tall man with spiky white hair and small, beady eyes. He was a bit taller than Gray and wore a long coat and pants. I cocked my head to the side. "Do I know you?"

"No, but you should!" He bent down on one knee and grasped my hand in his. "Oh, fair maiden from the heavens, bless me with your name!"

"Hands off!" I brought my boot to his face and he hit the wall next to Gray. But Gray wasn't there anymore- he was standing up and towering over the man I just hit.

"What do you want, Lyon?" He asked stubbornly. I vaguely remembered Lyon from Gray's stories about his training with Ur. Lyon sat up and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

He stood up and faced Gray. "It's been seven long years, and that is how you greet me?"

Gray smirked. "Yeah, I guess." They embraced quickly before I waved my hands.

"Hey, guys, I'm still here!"

Gray turned to face me. "Nicole, Lyon. Lyon, this is our newest member, Nicole. She came just before we fell asleep for seven years."

Lyon sighed blissfully. "Ah, she looks like the perfect companion for me." He placed a hand on my shoulder and Gray knocked it away.

"You keep your hands off." Gray's raven black hair brushed across his face and heat ran to my cheeks. _He's defending me…_

"Gray-sama!"

"Eep!" Gray cowered as Juvia skipped onto the street. Her blue hair brushed past her shoulders and she glared at me when she saw me. "Love rival! What are you doing here with Juvia's Gray-sama?"

"Juvia-" Gray began, before (to everyone's surprise) Lyon stepped in.

"Ah, does this fair woman go by the name Juvia? Beautiful." Lyon kissed the back of a startled Juvia's hand. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"Ah… Juvia is sorry…" Juvia, bewildered, took a step back.

Thinking quickly, I shoved Gray down another street and ran after him while Lyon occupied Juvia. We collapsed against a wall, breathless, then stared at each other and broke down in giggles.

"I can't believe Lyon likes Juvia as much as she likes you," I whispered, giggling. Gray chuckled.

"Thanks for saving me there. Let's go." And so off we went.

…**~~~:::*****

We arrived into large open square in a few minutes. In the middle of the square, a crowd had drawn, and I heard shouting and yelling. I saw a flash of pink hair and determined Natsu was there. Sighing, I pushed my way into the crowd, Gray not far behind. There was a tall, blond boy alongside a tall, dark haired, pale skinned boy. There were two exceeds next to them- one burgundy coloured one, and another green one in a pink frog suit that made my breath hitch in my throat. _It looks so much like Lucky._

"What the hell is going on?" I barked, staring at Natsu, who had his anger face on with his hands at his sides.

"These two are saying they killed their dragons," he rasped. "They're dragon slayers."

He didn't even need to mention the last part. I was already yelling. "What do you mean, they killed their dragons?!"

"He means what he says," the blond boy chuckled. "I'm Sting. This is Rogue. Third generation dragon slayers."

"How could you kill your own dragons?" I roared. "They were your family!"

"How would you know anything?" Sting whispered, stalking up to me and glaring down at me (oh come on, I was only a few inches shorter than him!). "You're not a dragon slayer."

"Actually," Natsu interrupted, "she-"

"Isn't a dragon slayer," I said quickly. "But I know what it's like to lose everything you love, but killing them?" _Quick save. _

Gray stared at me questioningly, but kept his mouth shut. I sent him silent thank yous- he knows partially why I don't reveal that.

Natsu on the other hand, did not understand. "But you-"

"Natsu!" Lucy emerged from another side of the crowd. "Why'd you run off? I-" She saw me, Gray, Sting, and Rogue, and knew something was up. I sent Lucy a Natsu-is-an-idiot-and-now-we're-in-trouble stare and she nodded like she understood. Ah, my best friends.

"Listen," Natsu hissed to the two dragon slayers, "I don't care who you are. But nobody messes with Fairy Tail. Got it?"

The exceed laughed. "Ooh, Fairy Tail! Weak, little, Fairy Tail!"

Natsu was about to land a hit on the exceed's face when Sting scooped him out of the way. Lucy was having trouble restraining him. "Fight me and I'll show you who's weak!" Natsu howled.

Sting smirked. "We're the Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth. Nobody defeats us. I'd like to see you try." He spread his hands. "We're winning this tournament."

"Fat chance," I retorted. "We'll kick your ass." There was collective gasp as I challenged the guild members.

"We're leaving," Gray retorted, grabbing my arm gently and tugging me out of the crowd. Lucy was doing the same with Natsu. But Sting wasn't done. He grabbed my other arm and tugged me towards him, yanking me out of Gray's grasp. He brought his face close to mine and I began to tremble.

"Listen, sweetie," he purred. "Be nice or I might kill you. Understood?"

Mustering up some courage, I slammed my fist into the side of his face. Sting reeled backward and was caught by Rogue. I ignored the crowd's shock and told him the same two words I told Lyon.

"Hands off."

And with that I marched away, Gray walking beside me, smirking, with Natsu slamming me a high five and Lucy smiling. What a nice first impression.


	30. GMG, Preliminary: Twilight Ogre

**AND WE ARE ON TO… SECRETS CAN KILL, CHAPTER 30!**

**I really really hope you enjoy! Thank you to all reviewers- you make my day so much better :) I don't know what I'd do without y'all :D**

_**Previously:**_

"_Actually," Natsu interrupted, "she-"_

"_Isn't a dragon slayer," I said quickly. "But I know what it's like to lose everything you love, but killing them?" Quick save. _

_Gray stared at me questioningly, but kept his mouth shut. I sent him silent thank yous- he knows partially why I don't reveal that._

_Natsu on the other hand, did not understand. "But you-"_

"_Natsu!" Lucy emerged from another side of the crowd. "Why'd you run off? I-" She saw me, Gray, Sting, and Rogue, and knew something was up. I sent Lucy a Natsu-is-an-idiot-and-now-we're-in-trouble stare and she nodded like she understood. Ah, my best friends._

"_Listen," Natsu hissed to the two dragon slayers, "I don't care who you are. But nobody messes with Fairy Tail. Got it?"_

_The exceed laughed. "Ooh, Fairy Tail! Weak, little, Fairy Tail!"_

_Natsu was about to land a hit on the exceed's face when Sting scooped him out of the way. Lucy was having trouble restraining him. "Fight me and I'll show you who's weak!" Natsu howled._

_Sting smirked. "We're the Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth. Nobody defeats us. I'd like to see you try." He spread his hands. "We're winning this tournament."_

"_Fat chance," I retorted. "We'll kick your ass." There was collective gasp as I challenged the guild members._

"_We're leaving," Gray retorted, grabbing my arm gently and tugging me out of the crowd. Lucy was doing the same with Natsu. But Sting wasn't done. He grabbed my other arm and tugged me towards him, yanking me out of Gray's grasp. He brought his face close to mine and I began to tremble._

"_Listen, sweetie," he purred. "Be nice or I might kill you. Understood?"_

_Mustering up some courage, I slammed my fist into the side of his face. Sting reeled backward and was caught by Rogue. I ignored the crowd's shock and told him the same two words I told Lyon._

"_Hands off."_

_And with that I marched away, Gray walking beside me, smirking, with Natsu slamming me a high five and Lucy smiling. What a nice first impression._

**Chapter 30: Grand Magic Games, Preliminary Round**

**Normal POV**

"All right," Erza said, clapping her hands together, "Gather around."

Gray, Natsu, and Lucy all scooted closer to Erza in the small room everyone shared. Yes, it only had five beds- respectively, for the five contestants- but Nicole came to sleep on the couch. Oh, she did indeed happen to be very stubborn- and when she mentioned she could make them dinner, Natsu practically dragged her with him. The room was large, with three bedrooms- one single, two double, a bathroom, and one large main room that included said couch, a table, and a small kitchen unit including an oven and sink.

"Where's Wendy?" Lucy interrupted, glaring at Erza.

Erza paled slightly. "I'm not sure. We told her to be back at 11:30 pm at the latest, because we were supposed to be back in the room for midnight, for whatever reason. She hasn't returned."

"And it's 11:55," Gray pointed out, glancing at the clock. Nicole swung her legs off the couch and stood up.

"I hope she gets back," she mumbled. And coming from someone who was envious of Wendy's role in the games, she sounded genuinely concerned. There was a knock at the door and Nicole jumped over to open it. As she opened the door, Team Natsu came face-to-face with Lisanna and Elfman.

"We brought some drinks!" The white haired girl said cheerily. "And we wish you luck!" She cast her gaze around the room and frowned. "Where's Wendy?"

A long, hollow, silence passed over them. Natsu broke the silence. "We don't know where she is."

Elfman gasped. "That's not manly! Where could she be?"

"She mentioned she was going sight seeing," grumbled Gray. "But we haven't seen her since we got here." He crossed her arms over his bare chest.

"We can go look for her," Lisanna volunteered, indicating her and Elfman.

Lucy brightened. "Great! Because the task-"

There was a loud noise and everyone sent each other nervous glances as a large screen was projected into the sky. Nicole glanced up to see a small pumpkin creature. "Welcome!" He cheered. "To the seventh annual grand magic games!"

The Ice Dragon Slayer didn't hear the rest of his speech. Nicole tuned out and turned to look out the far window. _Where is Wendy? They're starting the games._

_But if she's not here…_

"A sky labyrinth?" Natsu yelped. "This is gonna be awesome!" His fist ignited into a large flame.

"One hundred and thirteen teams?" Lucy squawked. "And only eight can make it?"

Gray smirked. "We'll be fine. We've got this in the bag."

Erza sighed. "We start now, but Wendy isn't here, and we need all five members to cross the finish line."

And that was when everyone turned to face Nicole.

The Ice Dragon Slayer grinned. "So, what are we waiting for?"

*****:::~~~…**

"This is so confusing!" Lucy hollered, stomping her feet. They were currently inside the labyrinth, standing on floating platforms in the maze. Lucy's blonde hair swished side to side as she turned around.

"We have to head east," Erza instructed.

Lucy grinned. "I've got this!" She pulled out a silver key and waved it above her head. "Open! Gate of the Compass, Pixus!" In a brilliant flash of light, a small penguin-like creature with a compass on its head appeared, flapping its tiny wings.

"All right, Pixus," Lucy said, bending down, "Which way is east?" After a few spins of the compass, Pixus squawked a cheer and pointed. The squad followed his gaze and saw platforms upon platforms of difficult climbing.

"Actually," Erza mentioned, "I have a compass right here." The Queen of the Fairies held up a small silver circle with a red and white needle in the centre. Lucy called a crestfallen Pixus back, and slowly stumbled after the group.

The labyrinth was indeed not making it easy for the Fairy Tail team. Gray continuously made stairs of ice for everyone to climb, and at several points in time they came across other guilds. The group attempted to make a map- and four out of the five members were very keen on the idea of stealing maps from other groups. But once the maze began to shift, Nicole knew immediately the maps were useless.

"It's moving!" Natsu howled, gripping Lucy's wrist and holding onto the edge of a platform.

Lucy started kicking her legs as the shaking grew more violent and more intense. "Natsu, I'm going to fall!"

"No, you're not," Ntasu insisted. "I've got you."

"Whoa!" Nicole started sliding backwards off her platform. Gray was having enough troubles holding onto his own platform.

"Nicole!" Gray called in desperation as Nicole slipped backwards, far past Titania and the rest of the group. "Nikki!" Natsu hollered after.

Thinking quickly, Nicole reached out to her far side and grabbed the closest thing to her- which just so happened to be somebody's leg. Nicole blinked up at the man's leg she grabbed. He was tall, all right- and had a familiar guild tattoo.

"Twilight Ogre!" Nicole gasped, nearly letting go.

The man curled his lip. "Fairy Tail! You really think you have a chance-"

He never finished his sentence. "I'll be getting up now!" Nicole called, using his ankle as a pivot and swinging up. Her feet connected with the man's face, and he stumbled backwards as Nicole landed safely on the platform. The remaining for members growled and gripped their weapons tightly, but Nicole had no interest in staying. She jumped up and quickly began ascending, leaving the Twilight Ogre members far behind.

"Let's go," Nicole said breathlessly, collapsing onto the platform where Erza stood. Gray hopped down.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. "Your knife wound-"

"Is fine," Nicole lied swiftly, standing up and wincing. "Enough worrying. Let's go."


	31. GMG, Preliminary: Seventh?

**Secrets Can Kill, Chapter 31!**

**AHAHA Aren't you guys lucky? Two chapters in two days? I got so excited that I wanted to update (that, and I have nothing better to do but write all day XD) and I hope you guys enjoy this. I know, it's short, but I have to end it here XD**

**So, without further ado, please enjoy this next chapter!**

_**Previously:**_

"_All right, Pixus," Lucy said, bending down, "Which way is east?" After a few spins of the compass, Pixus squawked a cheer and pointed. The squad followed his gaze and saw platforms upon platforms of difficult climbing._

"_Actually," Erza mentioned, "I have a compass right here." The Queen of the Fairies held up a small silver circle with a red and white needle in the centre. Lucy called a crestfallen Pixus back, and slowly stumbled after the group._

_The labyrinth was indeed not making it easy for the Fairy Tail team. Gray continuously made stairs of ice for everyone to climb, and at several points in time they came across other guilds. The group attempted to make a map- and four out of the five members were very keen on the idea of stealing maps from other groups. But once the maze began to shift, Nicole knew immediately the maps were useless._

"_It's moving!" Natsu howled, gripping Lucy's wrist and holding onto the edge of a platform._

_Lucy started kicking her legs as the shaking grew more violent and more intense. "Natsu, I'm going to fall!"_

"_No, you're not," Ntasu insisted. "I've got you."_

"_Whoa!" Nicole started sliding backwards off her platform. Gray was having enough troubles holding onto his own platform._

"_Nicole!" Gray called in desperation as Nicole slipped backwards, far past Titania and the rest of the group. "Nikki!" Natsu hollered after._

_Thinking quickly, Nicole reached out to her far side and grabbed the closest thing to her- which just so happened to be somebody's leg. Nicole blinked up at the man's leg she grabbed. He was tall, all right- and had a familiar guild tattoo._

"_Twilight Ogre!" Nicole gasped, nearly letting go._

_The man curled his lip. "Fairy Tail! You really think you have a chance-"_

_He never finished his sentence. "I'll be getting up now!" Nicole called, using his ankle as a pivot and swinging up. Her feet connected with the man's face, and he stumbled backwards as Nicole landed safely on the platform. The remaining for members growled and gripped their weapons tightly, but Nicole had no interest in staying. She jumped up and quickly began ascending, leaving the Twilight Ogre members far behind._

"_Let's go," Nicole said breathlessly, collapsing onto the platform where Erza stood. Gray hopped down._

"_Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. "Your knife wound-"_

"_Is fine," Nicole lied swiftly, standing up and wincing. "Enough worrying. Let's go."_

**Chapter 31: Grand Magic Games, Preliminary Round 2**

**Normal POV**

It was clear soon after Nicole's fall that she was indeed not okay.

The strain was taking a toll on her, but she pushed forward and kept going. Natsu, Lucy, and Erza decided not to bother her, because they knew their protests would be fatal. But Erza, a keen group leader, kept the group optimistic and going onwards. Gray, however, stayed right beside the Ice Dragon Slayer, who kept stumbling and tripping. But our favourite Ice-Make mage stuck by her side as they traversed east.

Then the maze began to move again.

"Oh god!" Natsu stood up on a platform and desperately tried to balance, almost like he was surfing. Lucy, from nearby, held onto one block of a platform and held for dear life.

"Stay calm!" Erza called defiantly, standing up straight. The Fairy Queen was having no difficulties balancing.

Nicole, from next to Gray, winced and grabbed the side of a wall. Gray wrapped one arm protectively around her waist and the other onto the wall. Nicole pressed herself closer to Gray, wincing as the rumbling grew.

"Aah!" Lucy's hands slipped from her handle and she began falling backwards.

"Lucy!" Natsu abandoned his post and lunged after the Celestial mage. Natsu was increasing speed by the second as he flew after falling Lucy, and when he got to her, the Dragon Slayer wrapped his arms around her and rebounded off another platform to rejoin the group.

Lucy stumbled, glad the maze had finished moving but breathless at the same time. "T… Thanks, Natsu."

After much more discussion and movement, the group found themselves on a long path. Encouraged by the prospect that they were close, Nicole moved slightly faster, keeping pace with the group. And then they saw the exit, and Mato waiting for them.

"Yes!" Natsu cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "We made it!"

"How did we do?" Gray asked quickly, at the same time Erza congratulated the team. "We were first, right?"

Mato rubbed his palms together nervously. "Uh… Not exactly."

The anticipated win that the Fairy Tail team expected did not come. "You got seventh."

"WHAT?"

The collected shout drew a sigh of relief from Nicole as the group tensed. "Oh, come on!" Natsu pouted. Lucy sighed and she and Nicole exchanged a hug. Soon, the group was ushered through the door.

"Wait," Nicole interrupted quickly. She turned around. "There's the number eight team-"

"No." Erza's voice shook as she saw them, but it was a sound not of fear, but of anger and determination.

Nicole clenched her fists. "Twilight Ogre!"

The five male members of the Twilight Ogre team bounded forward, weapons in hand and such, and nearly stopped in disbelief at the sight of the team who made it in front of them.

"…Fairy Tail." The obvious leader drawled, stepping closer to the goal.

The Ice Dragon Slayer cursed. "I should've knocked you off when I had the chance!"

It looked like they were going to fight- but Mato stepped in. "Uh, congratulations, Twilight Ogre! You are eighth! Now, come along, come along…" he ushered everyone in through the gateway, Nicole frowning the entire time.


	32. GMG, Day 1: Keeping More Secrets

**YAY WE'RE ON SECRETS CAN KILL, CHAPTER 32! YAYAYAYAYAY!**

**Thank you SO much for reviewing! Honestly you guys make my day brighter! :D I hope you enjoy day one! (Although it's not much different from the real games themselves)**

**Chapter 32: Grand Magic Games, Day One**

**Normal POV**

"Wendy should be here."

Nicole's voice rang out in the small room they were waiting in. All five were dressed in purple and white uniforms- Erza was like a dress split open in the front, Lucy had a white skirt and purple top, Natsu's had one long sleeve, Gray's- wait, Gray wasn't even wearing his. Nicole refused to wear a skirt and ended up in black pants, a black strapless top, and a purple vest with the Fairy Tail symbol on it. She had white boots matching Lucy's and a white belt as well. Her hair was done up in its usual ponytail, with her long bangs hanging down the side of her face. "Wendy should be here," Nicole repeated, sitting down on a bench.

"Yeah, but didn't you want to be in the games?" Gray questioned.

The Ice Dragon Slayer sighed. "Yeah, but not like this. We don't even know if she's okay- and our guild doesn't even know if we made it."

Silence rocked the room. Then Natsu piped up. "Hey, Nikki, why didn't you tell Sting you were a Dragon Slayer?"

Gray quickly recounted the story to Erza, who had not been at the scene, and Nicole sighed. "I don't know. Well, maybe…" She trailed off.

Era spoke next. "Does anyone besides Fairy Tail know what your powers are?" Nicole looked startled, but shook her head. "Then keep it that way until you need to use it."

Nicole raised your eyebrows. "Explain, please?"

Gray's eyes lit up. "I get it. Nobody knows what your powers are, so if you keep it hidden, it could keep people wondering-"

"And draw more attention to us," Lucy finished. Natsu nodded. "Well, we just returned from the dead, so people see us as an underdog, so we need to prove them wrong."

Nicole considered. "Well, it's a good idea. I'm all in for it. But what if I have to battle? Can I keep it a secret until the end?"

"You've got your eye thing," Natsu pointed out. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Gray smirked. "That, and you beat Natsu on the first day without barely any magic."

"She did NOT, Ice Princess!" Natsu bickered, igniting his fist. Nicole giggled.

"Okay. I'll try, but if I'm about to die, I'm going to use my magic," she joked. Everyone laughed. And then they were called out.

The announcer's voice reined through the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen of Fiore, presenting the team that finished in seventh place! The guild that vanished seven years ago! Can they really come back to reclaim that title? Welcome… FAIRY TAIL!"

The team walked out with Natsu in the lead. There were absolutely no claps at first. Then, after a terrifying moment, people began clapping slowly. It was indeed quite a shock to see a team that disappeared for seven years show up again.

"There's Twilight Ogre," Lucy whispered. Yes, Twilight Ogre was standing to their left, shooting them death glares. Nicole glared back.

"Wow," Gray mused, "We must not be very popular."

"Those knuckleheads won't know what hit 'em," Natsu grinned, smashing his palms together.

"Quiet!" Erza hushed. "The other teams are already here."

She spoke the truth- the guilds known as Blue Pegasus, Quatro Ceburus, and Mermaid Heel were already on the field. The guild that finished the labyrinth third was Lamia Scale.

"Hey!" Nicole shouted suddenly, pointing up into the stands. "There's everyone else!" Everyone followed her gaze and saw their guild master among his brats, cheering for them. But… was that a ghost sitting next to them?

Shaking herself, Nicole watched the second place team come out.

"In second, we have… FAIRY TAIL B!"

"_What?" _

Team A watched in shock as Juvia, Gajeel, Laxus, Mirajane, and 'Mystogen' walked out on field. "Who's the guy under the mask?" Nicole whispered to Erza. But Erza was in a state of shock and didn't answer.

As Chapati, the head announcer for the Grand Magic Games, and Yajima, another announcer, began discussing the possibility of two teams from the same guild, Nicole wandered over.

"Hey guys!" She said cheerfully. Gajeel raised his eyebrows.

"Oi, what are you doing here? Where's Wendy?"

"We couldn't find her," Nicole explained sadly as Gray, Natsu, and Lucy came up behind her. "So I was a replacement."

"Porlyusica's going to be mad," Mirajane scolded.

Nicole laughed. "Yeah, I know. Oh well!" She turned to find Erza talking to the masked man. "Hey, who's that?"

"That's…" Mirajane dropped her voice. "That's Jellal. He's a wanted fugitive. But he's joining as Mystogen, because Mystogen used to be in our guild. He left before you came, but they look identical." Mira smiled. "It's a secret!"

"Speaking of secrets," the Ice Dragon Slayer interrupted, "Here's the thing…" And so quickly, yet quietly, the group listened as Nicole explained their strategy.

"WELCOME THE NUMBER ONE GUILD IN FIORE," Chapati announced, breaking the group apart, "HERE'S… SABERTOOTH!" The crowd screamed in admiration as five wizards, including Sting and Rogue, marched out onto the field.

Everything else passed in a blur. Fairy Tail was sending Sabertooth dirty looks, and vice versa. The complaints with the referee about two people from the same guild were diminished, and Mato, the pumpkin ref, explained the first game- Hidden.

"I could try," Nicole volunteered. But as she stared up at the screen, she saw Lyon had joined. "Um. Never mind."

"If Lyon's in, I'm in," the Ice-Make mage announced, stepping up.

"Be my guest," Nicole grumbled. "Good luck!" Everyone waved to Gray as he stepped up to the challenge of 'Hidden'. This was going to be interesting…

*****:::~~~…**

Let's just say the day did not go as planned.

Gray lost- only because the one representing Twilight Ogre, their leader Thibault, targeted Gray and only Gray. Thibault wielded an axe, and had surprisingly no magic besides being able to switch his axe with other kinds of axes. Yet as a leader, he was smart, and targeted Gray and only Gray. Fairy Tail knew it was because they had taken over Magnolia as the top guild there while Twilight Ogre had been torn down. And Juvia didn't do much better- she hugged a fake Gray at the beginning and ended up second last. Gray didn't show himself for the rest of the day.

But Sabertooth won- putting them in first with 10 points. The standings were as follows:

**1: Sabertooth: 10 points**

**2: Twilight Ogre: 8 points**

**3: Lamia Scale: 6 points**

**4: Blue Pegasus: 4 points**

**5: Mermaid Heel: 3 points**

**6: Quatro Ceburus: 2 points**

**7: Fairy Tail B: 1 point**

**8: Fairy Tail A: 0 points**

Jellal ended up fighting Jura, but lost drastically when he was about to unleash his true magic- Erza suspected Meredy and Ultear had something to do with it. And Lucy lost later to someone from Twilight Ogre in her battle. His magic was gravity magic, and his name was Marzal. Lucy was doing amazing, and she lost- only because (Nicole was sure of it) Twilight Ogre had cheated- Lucy was about to use her ultimate spell when the magic suddenly left and she collapsed. People now thought Fairy Tail was a joke.

But earlier, Ren from Blue Pegasus had beat Araña from Mermaid Heel, earning his team ten points, and Orga Nanagear from Sabertooth had finished his fight with Warcry from Quatro Ceburus in about ten seconds. This racked up the points from the favourites of the games and left the underdogs with little.

**1: Sabertooth: 20 points**

**2: Twilight Ogre: 18 points**

**3: Lamia Scale: 16 points**

**4: Blue Pegasus: 14 points**

**5: Mermaid Heel: 3 points**

**6: Quatro Ceburus: 2 points**

**7: Fairy Tail B: 1 point**

**8: Fairy Tail A: 0 points**

Both Fairy Tail teams were disgusted with themselves and left that night to party at with their guild. Eh, go figure.

"I'll have another beer over here!" Cana hollered, banging her mug on the table.

"Barrel surfing!" Natsu bellowing, hopping on top of a barrel and sending it rolling across the floor.

"Gah!" Gray leaped to the side. "Watch where you're going, flame head!" He had spent a minute sulking in his room before coming down (well, mostly because Nicole dragged him) to spend the night with the guild. Nicole already explained her strategy, and the guild agreed to go along with it. Now, they were thoroughly enjoying their time, despite their losing streak in the Grand Magic Games.

Nicole sighed. "Oh, come on, THIS is how you barrel surf." She leaped up and rose to the challenge, and she actually did pretty well until the visitor arrived.

"Beer."

A tall drunken man slammed a beer mug on the counter for the bartender. He had on capris and purple armour covering his shoulders and a bit of his arms. His black hair was in a bun, tied with a white ribbon, and he had a snarky grin on his face. "Beer," he repeated, slamming his mug on the counter again.

"Who are you?" Nicole demanded, approaching him, flanked by several other members.

The guy grinned. "Bacchus, from Quatro Ceburus, pretty lady. Where's Erza?"

"Here." Titania marched forward. "Bacchus Groh. It's been a while."

The man from Quatro Ceburus chuckled. "Even longer for me. You've been asleep seven years." As his beer mug came he drained it quickly and hit the counter again to symbolize he wanted another one. "I wanna rematch."

Gray blinked. "You know this guy?"

"You wanna fight, you've got one!" Natsu jumped onto the counter. "I'll destroy you!"

"Not you, kid," Bacchus grumbled. As Natsu aimed a fiery fist at his face, Bacchus moved so fast it wasn't humanly possible. He twirled out of the way and slammed a fist into Natsu's gut before anyone could move. Gasping, the Fire Dragon Slayer fell backwards.

Bacchus pointed a finger at Erza. "You. Me. Rematch. After the games." With a drunken hiccup, Bacchus snatched away his beer mug and teetered out of the bar.


	33. GMG, Day 2: Moment of Power

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 33!**

**I really do hope you're enjoying this story! Thanks for sticking with me all the way to here! So let's continue!**

**Chapter 33: Grand Magic Games, Day Two**

**Nicole's POV**

"So, what's Bacchus's magic?" I wondered aloud as we trudged back to the arena. It was already day two, and we had had a long night of partying. Bacchus was the weird arrival to the bar that only Erza seemed to know.

"He's from Quatro Ceburus," Erza replied calmly after a moment. "Bacchus's magic involves drinking."

Natsu laughed out loud. "No surprise there!"

The Queen of the Fairies smiled at him. "Yes, well, he specializes in fighting. When he drinks, he gains even more power. I fought him before." Erza sighed as she recalled the memory. "Our battle ended in a tie. He is a very formidable opponent." Lost in thought, the red head led the group out onto the field.

Lucy was frowning. "I really hope Wendy's all right." Wendy had been found just last night, and only because the castle guards had delivered her personally to Fairy Tail. When they found her, she was bruised, cut, and beaten. And, in blood, the Twilight Ogre symbol was painted on her cheek.

The guild was absolutely outraged. Makarov had to pin Natsu down before he rampaged around town, searching for the scum that did that to poor Wendy. Yeah, I was really mad too, and I would've joined Natsu, but I knew although beating up Twilight Ogre sounded satisfactory, I would only bring us bad karma and could get us kicked out of the games. Very frustratingly, I sat down (and forced Gray to tie me to the chair so I didn't leave).

"Well, today better be better than yesterday," Gray grumbled, scuffing his shoe against the ground.

"I'm sure-" I started to say, when Erza motioned for us to be quiet and get into the arena.

Oh lord.

Why, Natsu?!

The event was called chariot- which meant that there were many chariots linking through the city, and the participants had to run across them and get back to the arena in order to place. And Natsu, of all people, decided to participate. He and Gajeel both succumbed to their motion sickness, and Sting did as well- he's a dragon slayer too, I guess that's why. Just looking at them made me feel sick, and I couldn't watch for very long.

And then, when Sting gave up, Natsu made a deep speech about how Fairy Tail was remembered by one person- Romeo. And how he never gave up on them. And how he was proud he's back. Several members of the audience were touched. Romeo was cheering up in the stands and hugging his former guardian, Crystal. Gray even had the nerve to say, "I didn't think flame-brain could say something so touching." Lucy shed a tear, Erza was smiling, and I refused to admit I was shaky as well. We missed seven years because of _me- _and that's not a good feeling.

Natsu came in sixth, earning us our first points in the game- two whole points. Gajeel stuck right behind Salamander, and earned one more point for his team. However, what slightly scared me was the fact Bacchus finished in first- by a large amount. Zaro from Twilight Ogre had speed magic, similar to Jet, but Bacchus tripped him up, resulting in Twilight Ogre taking second again. Risley Law from Mermaid Heel took third, closely followed by Yuka from Lamia Scale and Ichiya from Blue Pegasus. The standings shifted slightly.

**1: Twilight Ogre: 26 points**

**2: Lamia Scale: 22 points**

**3: Sabertooth: 20 points**

**4: Blue Pegasus: 17 points**

**5: Quatro Ceburus: 12 points**

**6: Mermaid Heel: 9 points**

**7: Fairy Tail A: 2 points**

**8: Fairy Tail B: 2 points**

We were still behind, but we could catch up. Right?

First up in matches was Toby Horhorta from Lamia Scale, and Zaro from Twilight Ogre, the speed freak. Needless to say, Zaro won, but only after a slight twist.

There was a bet on the field. Toby wagered his super secret in exchange for Zaro's name that he always wanted to have (instead of 'Zaro'). I guess Zaro didn't like his name or something. When Toby finally whispered that his secret was his inability to find a sock, Zaro tore the sock off the necklace he was wearing, and while Toby was weeping in joy and thanking him, he tore it to shreds. Heartbroken, Toby left the field.

"Even if that was weird…" I began.

"That was downright cruel," Gray finished.

*****:::~~~…**

"My lord." Arcadios bowed deeply in front of the king's throne. "Do you have any requests for a battle today?" The room he was kneeling in was a royal red, decorated with gold and accent pictures. The king of Fiore was sitting in his throne, with his elbow propped up on the arm rest, deep in thought.

"Actually," Toma E. Fiore rasped, "I would enjoy to see Bacchus… against… What's her name, the girl from the first Fairy Tail team." He sighed. "Not the one who fought yesterday… Um, Em… no…"

"I see, my lord," Arcadios chuckled, grinning. "The battle will be prepared for your entertainment." With the wrong wizard in mind, Arcadios left the throne room, seemingly pleased with himself.

"The match between Bacchus Groh and Nicole Emereon will be quite intriguing."

…**~~~:::*****

"Next up," Chapati called, enjoying the excited cheers of the crowd, "We have, Bacchus Groh from Quatro Ceburus!"

The drunken man hobbled onto the field, carrying a bottle with him. He placed it down in the sand and cracked his knuckles. Turning back towards the area in the stands where his guild was, he called over to them, "What are we, boys?" I made a face and Lucy giggled.

"WILD!" The guild chorused back.

"Bacchus has replaced Warcry, because due to his injuries he cannot continue," Chapati explained. Orga from Sabertooth was caught smirking with the rest of his guild. "But after winning the Chariot event, it sounds like he's ready to go!" Shuffling through his notes, Chapati looked for his opponent. "And he is facing…

"Eh?" The announcer asked himself quietly. But he shrugged. "King's orders." Stacking his notes, he turned towards the microphone again. We listened intently for his next announcement.

"Against Fairy Tail A's…"

"It's going to be you, Erza!" Natsu cheered.

Gray smirked. "You won't have to wait until later for a rematch after all."

I sighed in relief. "At least this means we don't have to face him."

"…Nicole Emereon!"

"_**WHAT?!"**_

_No, no, I can't do this!_ I panicked in my head. I could feel the rest of Fairy Tail gasping, because they knew I wouldn't be able to take on Bacchus without using magic. Willing myself not to cry out in despair, I turned to the rest of my shocked team. "Oh god. How am I going to do this, even if I use magic?"

"You'll be fine," Erza said firmly, clapping my on the back. "Just be quick and out-think him."

"But even you couldn't beat him!" I panicked. "How am I-"

"Just do this," Gray interrupted. "Rock it."

Knowing I had no choice, and that I should appear strong, I thanked Gray quickly and trotted out onto the sand. I saw Bacchus, waiting. Clenching my fists, I faced him, my nerves kicking me with every step.

_My vision! _This was the vision I saw from the future, back with Violet on Tenrou Island, me facing Bacchus in a match!

"Why me," I grumbled under my breath.

Chapati really was on top of everything. "Yesterday, Fairy Tail failed to win both of their matches. Will they triumph in any today? Nicole Emereon," Chapati said, shuffling through some papers, "Is one of the newest recruits to the guild, but her type of magic is not yet known. Is she really that powerful in order to be here?"

"You seem nervous, girly," Bacchus slurred. "You scared?"

"In your dreams," I spat, sinking into a low stance.

And then he charged.

Everything seemed to slow down, but that meant my body too. Bacchus sped towards me at lightning speed, and aimed a chop at my shoulder with his right hand. Ducking, I noticed his foot coming out to kick me, and I dropped into the sand and lashed out a leg from on my back. Bacchus grabbed my foot and threw me up, up, up into the air. Regaining my composure after being surprised, I landed on two feet, shaken but not hurt.

I could already hear my guild mates in the stands.

"She's as fast as Bacchus!" I heard Natsu cheer. I wanted to climb up in the stands, slap him and tell him I wasn't, but if my eyes left Bacchus for a second, I would be toast.

"But Bacchus hasn't even taken a drink of anything," Lucy pointed out. She was right. Behind Bacchus, I saw an unopened bottle. I could barely keep up now, so if he drank that, I was doomed.

A strategy forming, I narrowed my eyes at Bacchus again.

"You're pretty quick, girly," Bacchus said, licking his lips.

I winced. "I have a name, you know." If I could pull this off, I might be able to do this without revealing my magic.

"Ah. Righttt. Who cares?" Bacchus tucked his hands behind his head. "Tell you what, girly."

"Don't call me girly," I hissed, but he ignored me.

"That last match had a bet, so why not us?" Bacchus took one step forward. "If I win, you gotta spend the night with me."

I was disgusted. Thoroughly, ultimately, completely and utterly disgusted. I could hear my team shouting their disgust as well. "Is he insane?" Gray howled.

But I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. "That's gross," I stated plainly, straightening up.

"I'm a growing man," Bacchus grumbled, wiggling his eyebrows. "Can you blame me?"

Ugh, first Lightning Palace, and now this?'

And Lucy's worse off than me!

"No way," I insisted. I needed to focus on my task, but that definitely unhinged me. I needed to get Bacchus away from the bottle, so I could somehow break it. At least that would limit him to what powers he could use.

_My eye thing. _I just remembered!

But he's already charging.

As he swung, kicked, and hit, I ducked, lashed, and rolled. It was dirty, but neither of us were using our full powers, and the audience seemed to be entertained. I rolled, sweeping his feet, but he jumped and kicked down. I grabbed his foot, nearly breaking my hand in the process, and twisted, causing him to spin and fall on his side to the ground in front of me. Spluttering, I stood up.

Bacchus stood up, grinning. I've barely managed to land a hit on him, but he's tired trying to keep up with me. "Nice, girly. But you still haven't said your side of the deal."

"I don't want…" Then I thought of something.

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_So, what do you guys think?" I asked the two younger Strauss siblings as I sipped my soda. We had just finished up Day One of the games- ending with what else, a party!_

_Elfman sighed. "I really wanted to be a man and go in the games, but it's just as manly to cheer on your manly guild!"_

"_It's lots of fun watching," Lisanna gushed. "You guys are super cool!"_

"_I've never heard of a few of those guilds," I remarked. "But then again, I haven't been around much."_

"_There's Blue Pegasus," Lisanna explained rapidly. "Apparently, they and Lamia Scale helped Fairy Tail take down the Oracion Seises, of something like that, while I was gone." I nodded. I had heard the story of Lisanna being in Edolas. "And Mermaid Heel is an all girls guild."_

"_Quatro Ceburus is a manly male guild," Elfman grumbled. He thought for a moment. "Isn't Ceburus an animal in a myth?"_

_I nodded. "A dog."_

"_Puppy!" Lisanna squeaked. After all, she had a huge love for animals. _

"_Quatro Puppy," Elfman chuckled. "That's not very manly!"_

_All three of us laughed and resumed partying._

_**FLASHBACK ENDED**_

"Puppy…" I whispered under my breath. Squaring my shoulders, I turned to Bacchus. "If I win, your guild has to go by the name Quatro Puppy for the remainder of the games."

"_**WHAT?!"**_

I knew I was insane for taking this bet, and I knew my half of the deal sounded ridiculous, but I had to keep Bacchus distracted. From our scuffle, the bottle was by my right- about ten feet away. I could get it, but Bacchus could beat me to it if he wanted to.

My opponent guffawed. "I like your feisty attitude! It's a deal!"

"Is she insane?" I heard Gray whisper. "If she loses, she's…"

"Have faith," Erza encouraged. "Nicole hasn't even used her magic yet."

"Neither has Bacchus!" Natsu noted.

"And what if he knocks her out before she has a chance?" Lucy worried.

Focus.

"I like the way you think, girly," Bacchus slurred, stumbling slightly.

_Nows's my chance. _"I like the way I think too," I replied cheerfully. Then I lunged, but not at Bacchus. I lunged at the bottle.

As soon as my boot connected with the bottle, it shattered, spraying red liquid across the arena floor. I heard Bacchus roar in protest as the sand absorbed his drink.

The Quatro Ceburus member glared at me, but I could hear Fairy Tail cheering. "You're going to pay for that, girly," Bacchus growled, about to charge.

I twitched my eyes.

And he didn't move.

"Why isn't Bacchus moving?" I heard the whispers of the crowd all around me. Now that Bacchus couldn't move, hopefully one solid strike to the stomach would knock him out.

"After an amazing twist, it seems Nicole from Fairy Tail has the upper hand! That was a good strategy!" Yajima cheered. "You've sure raised these kids well, Makarov!"

"But why isn't Bacchus moving?" Chapati drawled. "Has he been paralyzed? I haven't seen Miss Emereon move."

"COOL!" Jason bellowed, scribbling down things on his notepad for _Sorcerer Weekly._

Bacchus seemed really uncomfortable. "What did you do?" His lips were moving, but the rest of his body wasn't. It looked like with the slightest push he would topple over. But I shut my eyes, concentrating.

"Ice Dragon," I whispered, so nobody could hear. Just like before. When I first joined. "Impact!"

I shot at Bacchus, pushing myself off the sand. I felt the energy I had stored for so long gather in my palm, exactly where I wanted it to be, and I slammed that large amount of energy into Bacchus's stomach. My opponent went flying backward and slammed into the side of the ring. He was out.

I stood up straight and stared up at the shocked faces of the crowd. "What more do you want?" I cried in exasperation, planting my hands on my hips, glaring at the crowd. I turned towards the Fairy Tail guild- my guild. They looked as shocked as everyone else, but they were clapping and cheering.

So was my team…

I marched out of the arena feeling awfully proud of myself.

_Oh, it's so good to be in Fairy Tail._


	34. GMG, Day 2: You Look Good

**Secrets Can Kill, with chapter 34!?**

**EEE Almost chapter 35! I really hope you like the story!**

**Chapter 34: Grand Magic Games, Day 2: Part 2**

**Nicole's POV**

I marched out of the stadium, refusing the urge to look behind me at the shocked faces of the crowds and my guild. I felt like tears would sting my eyes. _Did I play dirty? Did I do something wrong? Did they underestimate me?_

Honestly, I wanted to go back to my apartment. There's such thing as _Wizarding News, _and guaranteed they're doing something on the grand magic games, meaning every match and interviews with all the team members. That'd mean prodding into my magic. They'd ask, "why haven't we heard of you before? You're such a good dragon slayer!" Maybe because I was wanted dead as soon as I was alive?

Frustrated, I screamed and kicked the side of the wall. I was in the chambers underneath the arena, hoping my teammates would _not _find me. I knew our team, from the 'B' side, was up next, but after my little escapade they wouldn't be starting any time soon. I was sincerely hoping Natsu wouldn't use his nose to find me (he was a dragon slayer, after all) and I slumped down against the wall. I adjusted my vest and turned to stare down the path I just came. Dark. I looked forward to the tunnel I was travelling down.

There was the Sabertooth team.

There were Sting and Rogue, the two twin dragon slayers, the pride and joy of Sabertooth. Lector, the exceed, was perched by Sting's feet, and Frosch was curled up in Rogue's arms. There was the guy with the teal hair who nearly killed the Quatro Ceburus member yesterday, Orga. Another guy from day one with long blond hair and a fancy mask and outfit was there too- Rufus. He's the one who knocked Gray out. And then there was a girl with white robes and short white hair, who sort of reminded me of Lisanna. She was clutching the rim of her blue-and-white dress in one hand and a ring of gold and silver keys in the other. _Celestial wizard._

"What do you want?" I asked, staring at my shoes as I sat on the ground.

I could literally feel the smirk from Sting. "Coming to see the little champion from back there."

"How'd you find me so quickly?" I realized a second later how stupid that sounded.

"We dragon slayer have sharp senses," Rogue muttered.

Sting chuckled, his one earring swaying with his head. "Obviously, Natsu couldn't find you. He-"

"Natsu," I said, jumping to my feet, "Is a better wizard than the both of you combined."

The White Dragon Slayer's eyebrows raised. "Right. So you say. We'll see on the battle field." He glared at me. "So tell me, little miss secrets. Why haven't I heard of you before? It's like you appeared out of nowhere."

I glared, my expression revealing nothing. "None of your business."

"Oh, really?" Sting leaned closer. "Everyone has a story. How about you? A reject, abandoned by your parents?" The mockery oozed off his voice. "A weakling with very little magic power? So weak, you decided to join a strong guild to toughen up?"

"Shut it." I clenched my hands and dug my nails into my palms.

"Rumour has it you joined right before the seven years of sleep," Rufus inquired. "And if my memory serves me correctly-" ("it always does," Orga murmured) "-then you had almost no existence whatsoever before the seven years, and now you're in the games.

"And in the games, I felt little magic power from you." He finished.

"Oh, really?" Sting teased. "Does little girlie have almost no magic power?"

_That's only because I'm not showing my Dragon Slayer power. _I would never dare say that out loud. My anger was building up so quickly it was a miracle I hadn't strangled them all yet. Well, maybe not the girl. Or Frosch. They're nice. But nobody could sense my power because I kept it bottled up. Frustrated, blood seeped down my palms from where my nails pierced my skin, and I made a big mistake. It's like the latch on my second origin snapped, and I felt my Ice Dragon Slayer powers again. They rushed threw my body so quickly I felt almost dizzy. I felt like I could pick up Orga and throw him one hundred feet. I felt like I could run miles. I felt amazing.

The sudden magic outburst washed over the five. "…What?" Sting questioned, sounding slightly fearful.

"If you'll excuse me," I stated, and I pushed past them and stomped my way down the hall.

*****:::~~~…**

"You did WHAT?"

"Yes, I did, now I know, let me be!"

"That was AWESOME!"

"That was dangerous, Natsu! She could've been injured!"

"Be more careful, Nicole."

"I know, Erza."

"I should've known you wouldn't have been able to hold your powers in after being provoked."

"What's THAT supposed to mean, Gray?"

"Amazing job on your match, Nicole! Bacchus didn't know what hit him!"

"Finally! Some appreciation around here! Thanks, Lucy."

"It was a very spectacular match."

"You were great, Nicole."

"AWWW, I wanted to fight him!"

As we all squabbled, I laughed until my gut hurt. It turns out these guys know me better than I know myself- they left me for a minute before letting me find my way here. Erza was impressed, Natsu was jealous, Lucy was happy, Gray was ecstatic. It was such a relief.

And then Mira had to go and have her match turn into a beauty pageant.

"Go on!" Our first master, the ghost, encouraged. "Mira needs some back up!"

"But…. But…" I spluttered. No WAY was I going out there IN PUBLIC in a bikini. But Lucy liked the idea. Dragging me by the wrist, she tugged me onto the field, clad in her white bikini. I was still in my vest and black tights and boots.

"Okay," I grumbled to Lucy, "There is NO WAY-"

"Come on!" Mirajane cheered. "It's fun!" And with a swipe of her hand, I was in a lime green bathing suit.

Squealling in discomfort, I stood up and tried to act normal. But the boy's eyes were bulging out of their heads and blood was spluttering out of their noses. Erza was having a face-off with Evergreen, Natsu had his eyes on Lucy the entire time, his cheeks flaming, Gray was trying to look away, cheeks flushed. Juvia was waving to Gray, her bathing suit clinging to her curves. Of course I was as awkward as always, with my arms crossed over my chest. Mira looked like she was enjoying herself.

Then, wedding dresses came.

Before I knew it, my clothing had changed completely to a long white dress that puffed out into ruffles at the waist. It was strapless and very uncomfortable. It had a gold flower pin at the waist, and honestly, I thought it looked spectacular, but of course I wouldn't let anyone else know that. And then there was this veil thing on my head.

"What the hell?" I roared, seizing the veil and tearing it off my head. I saw Loke carrying Lucy across the stadium, only to bump into a stunning looking Natsu, Levy was smiling up at Gajeel, and…

Juvia was waving to Gray in a beautiful dress. "Gray-sama! Will you be Juvia's partner?"

"Juvia-" he began, looking very dashing in a white tux, but he turned my way. "Oh… Wow."

I blushed and crossed my arms. "Very funny. I look like a princess!"

"Um, well, you look… good." Gray offered to take my hand. "Dance?" Blushing, I accepted. Lyon was busy carrying Juvia away anyways.


	35. GMG, Day 3: Fairy Queen Soars

**AND WE ARE ONTO CHAPTER 35 OF SECRETS CAN KILL!**

**Enjoy :) Thanks to those people who keep reviewing, because you make my day :)**

_**Previously:**_

_Squealling in discomfort, I stood up and tried to act normal. But the boy's eyes were bulging out of their heads and blood was spluttering out of their noses. Erza was having a face-off with Evergreen, Natsu had his eyes on Lucy the entire time, his cheeks flaming, Gray was trying to look away, cheeks flushed. Juvia was waving to Gray, her bathing suit clinging to her curves. Of course I was as awkward as always, with my arms crossed over my chest. Mira looked like she was enjoying herself._

_Then, wedding dresses came._

_Before I knew it, my clothing had changed completely to a long white dress that puffed out into ruffles at the waist. It was strapless and very uncomfortable. It had a gold flower pin at the waist, and honestly, I thought it looked spectacular, but of course I wouldn't let anyone else know that. And then there was this veil thing on my head._

"_What the hell?" I roared, seizing the veil and tearing it off my head. I saw Loke carrying Lucy across the stadium, only to bump into a stunning looking Natsu, Levy was smiling up at Gajeel, and…_

_Juvia was waving to Gray in a beautiful dress. "Gray-sama! Will you be Juvia's partner?"_

"_Juvia-" he began, looking very dashing in a white tux, but he turned my way. "Oh… Wow."_

_I blushed and crossed my arms. "Very funny. I look like a princess!"_

"_Um, well, you look… good." Gray offered to take my hand. "Dance?" Blushing, I accepted. Lyon was busy carrying Juvia away anyways._

**Chapter 35: Grand Magic Games, Day 3**

**Normal POV**

So the day ended with a bang. Mira earned her team ten points, as did I, and we were celebrating at our party room now.

"Changing their guild name to Quatro Puppy is SO MANLY!" Elfman hollered, beer sloshing out of his mug. "But the name isn't manly at all!"

"I can't believe you actually went through with that," Lisanna giggled. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Admit it, you thought I was going to lose."

"No way!" Natsu leaped up onto the table. "I knew you were going to win the WHOLE time!"

"You were complaining about not being able to FIGHT the whole time," Gray grumbled, subconsciously stripping off his shirt.

"Was not, Ice Princess!"

"Was too!"

"You guys are so unmanly…"

"Ouch, Natsu! That hurt!"

"Sorry, Luce, didn't mean to hit ya there!"

"_WHO SMUSHED MY CAKE?!"_

"Ack! I did't mean to, Erza!"

"Run if you value your life!"

*****:::~~~…**

"I can't believe it's day three," Wendy mused as she sat up in her hospital bed. "You guys are doing great!"

"Thanks, kid," Gray grinned, ruffling her hair. "We're only just getting started."

"And you are NOT going to participate," Porlyusica clarified. "Unlike Miss Emereon here, who disobeyed my instruction."

Nicole grinned sheepishly. "Eh, I've been doing fine!"

"We have to go," Erza claimed. "See you later, Wendy."

"Bye!" Lucy chorused. The five of them waved politely to Wendy, who waved back and attempted to fall asleep under Porlyusica's instruction.

"I shall participate in this round," Erza declared upon reaching the arena. So far, Fairy Tail Team A and Fairy Tail Team B were tied with 12 points each, taking them to sixth place beside Quatro Ceburus- sorry, Quatro Puppy. Mermaid Heel had 19 points, after Kagura's win against Yukino. Sabertooth only had twenty (they hadn't earned a single point the previous day) and Blue Pegasus had only 17, after Mermaid Heel. Lamia Scale and Twilight Ogre were prevailing- Lamia had 20 as well as Sabertooth, and Twilight Ogre had 36. They were winning by a huge number.

**1: Twilight Ogre: 36 points**

**2: Sabertooth: 20 points**

**2: Lamia Scale: 20 points**

**4: Mermaid Heel: 19 points**

**5: Blue Pegasus: 17 points**

**6: Fairy Tail A: 12 points**

**6: Fairy Tail B: 12 points**

**6: Quatro Puppy: 12 points**

"I shall challenge all one hundred monsters," Erza said firmly.

"_**WHAT?!" **_

In the middle of the arena, with a huge stadium above them, the eight contestants were waiting. All six other contestants paled (the seventh, Cana, simply chuckled and sipped her beer) Mato fell into a state of shock and the announcers simply couldn't handle it. But nevertheless, Erza, the fairy queen that soared, defeated all one hundred monsters, earning her team ten points.

Over all, Cana wowed the crowd with her score of 9999 on the Magic Power Finder, earning her team eight points. A man named Corinbolt from Twilight Ogre got a measly 7, earning his team no points.

And then the battles!

After a quick match, Erza's old friend Millianna (who Nicole was very creeped out by) beat Semmes from Quatro 'Puppy' (and oh, were they ever humiliated by their name!) and Eve from Blue Pegasus was burned badly by Rufus from Sabertooth. Gray spent the entire time seething inwardly. Nicole laughed at him.

Then, Laxus had to face the leader of Sabertooth, Thibault. It lasted about three minutes. Thibault whipped axe after axe at the Thunder mage, who retaliated by shooting all his electricity into his opponents body. Thibault passed out and earned Fairy Tail B ten points.

Next Gray got to battle again. Although it wasn't against Rufus, Gray had to face Yuka from Lamia Scale. The battle was quick and ended with Gray victorious, boosting his ego slightly.

So over all, the day wasn't too bad.

**1: Twilight Ogre: 36 points**

**2: Sabertooth: 34 points**

**3: Fairy Tail A: 32 points**

**3: Mermaid Heel: 32 points**

**5: Fairy Tail B: 30 points**

**6: Lamia Scale: 26 points**

**7: Blue Pegasus: 18 points**

**8: Quatro Puppy: 14 points**

"That's it!" Levy proclaimed. "We're going out for the night!"

"Where?" Nicole asked, bending towards the bluenette.

Levy jabbed a finger at a brochure. "The Amazing Ryetsu Land!" **(I know I didn't spell that right, someone please tell me how to spell it :P)**

"Sounds fun," Nicole decided. Lucy bopped her head in agreement. Erza smiled.

"Yes, tonight would be wonderful." She sighed blissfully.

Nicole frowned. "On one condition. I don't wear a bikini."

"That takes all the FUN out of it!" Lucy cried. "You are so wearing one."

"Wait, what?" But the Ice Dragon Slayer couldn't do anything to stop the scheming Celestial wizard.

"The lime green one! I know you want to wow Gray, right?"

"NO!"

"Yes you do! Come on!"

"Wait for me!"

"Hurry up, Natsu!"

"I'll come too!"

"Me too!"

"Great, Mira, Lisanna!"

"I SAID, I don't want to wear it!"

"Nicole, we will force you if you don't."

"Erza! No!"


	36. GMG, Day 3: Ryetsu Land

**Onto Chapter 36 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**We are onto Ryetsu land! Thanks to the suggestion from a certain reader about Nicole. And someone wanted a description of what she looks like…. SO here you are!**

**Height: 5 foot 7 inches (the same height as Lucy, if you want to say that)**

**Weight: Between 120-135 pounds**

**Hair: A golden brown- gets darker in the winter. Natural light-blonde highlights. Cut to right about her shoulder blade. Wears in ponytail, but has her hair down for formal events and when she feels good.**

**Eyes: Small eyes, brown around the pupil, but mixed blue and green around the edge.**

**Face: Rarely ever wears make-up, has long bangs she tucks behind her ear. Has earrings- normally silver studs. No freckles!**

**Body: Less busty than Lucy or Juvia, but still proud of how she looks. Not like she wants to show people, though. Long legs- long, long, long legs. **

**Outfit: Normally black leggings and tall black boots with silver/green design, a black strapless top and a green jacket. Silver belt. Refuses (most of the time) to wear anything skimpy. Rarely ever wears dresses/skirts.**

**Fun fact: Has a eye disorder called nystagmus, allowing her to twitch her eyes (Evergreen turned it into a magic power). Eats mostly meat, can get picky.**

**Personality: Stubborn. Strong and determined, but can almost easily be embarrassed. Hates public humiliation. Loyal. Good at lying or hiding secrets. Deadly smart.**

**I hope that sums it up. Enjoy the chapter :) If you have any other questions, tell me in a review!**

**Chapter 36: Ryetsu Land**

**Nicole's POV**

"I said, no."

"But come on! This will look so good on you!"

"No means no, Lucy."

"It would look rather flattering on you, Nicole. You should give it a go."

"No, no, and no, Erza."

"Have a little fun! Flaunt it!"

"No thanks."

"I think you would look good in it, Nicole-san!"

"How many times do I have to say no? And no formalities, Wendy, please."

"I bet Gray would enjoy it!…"

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT IDEA?"

"Let's ask what he thinks!"

"You'll have to get me into it first!"

"Not a problem!"

"No, Mira, I didn't mean you!"

"See? It looks gorgeous."

"Get this off of me! I look so weird!"

"You look amazing!"

"Beautiful!"

"Awesome!"

"Let's see what Gray thinks!"

"NO!"

And that is how my trip to Ryetsu Land began, in the women's change room. The ladies refused to let me wear anything else. Eventually, I knew I had no choice. But because I was stubborn, I took a white wrap and tied it around my waist. I was nearly transparent, and you could see the lime green bathing suit bottoms underneath. I swore inwardly. But Mira had threatened to take pictures of me while I was sleeping and send them to Gray if I didn't cooperate, so I did.

Yeah, my crush on Gray is pretty obvious to the guild now. Crap.

Trying not to draw too much attention to myself, I crossed my arms over my chest and nervously followed Lucy, Erza, and Wendy into the waterpark. Wendy instantly bonded with a pink-haired girl from Lamia Scale named Chelia. Many other guilds were here as well.

Squirming uncomfortably, I glanced around. It truly was beautiful. There was a huge water slide with a heart at the top called 'The Love Slide'. There were pools, sunbathing chairs, and more.

"Whee!" Natsu cried like a happy child as he hopped on a train in the water, only to pass out from his motion sickness a few seconds later. I sighed inwardly at his sheer stupidity.

I avoided Gray as soon as I saw him enter the park. I ducked behind a rock and crouched, only to find myself face to face with another couple.

"Elfman? Evergreen?" I asked in disbelief.

"I- Um- Well-" Evergreen stammered.

I giggled. "Your secret is safe with me."

The duo visibly relaxed. "That's very manly of you," Elfman sighed.

"She's a woman, dolt!" Evergreen whacked him upside the head.

I quickly got away.

**Gray's POV**

"Gray. Gray. Gray. Earth to Gray."

I snapped my eyes open. Erza stood over me in a yellow bathing suit, glaring down at me. The wav of panic that I had done something wrong and she was about to kill me set in, and I scrambled back. "Erza!"

She smiled. "It's fine." Plunking herself down in a chair next to mine, she turned to me. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," I lied quickly. "I'm fine, fine."

"Liar."

"No!"

"It's obvious, Gray. Now stop lying to me and tell me what's wrong."

Slightly scared, I sighed. "Fine," I scowled. "It's the girls." My face slowly heated up as I waited for Erza to laugh.

But to my surprise, she didn't. "Oh, Juvia and Nicole?" I nodded warily. "What about them?"

"Well," I muttered uncertainly, "I don't know, it's just…"

"Juvia loves you," Erza explained quickly, "And Nicole obviously has a crush on you, Lyon loves them both, and you want to figure out which one you like."

My jaw dropped. "Nicole doesn't like me! Why would she? And… I mean, I like them both, but…"

Erza sighed. "Get it through your thick skull. Look at Nicole." She gestured to the Ice Dragon Slayer, who was dressed in her lime green bikini and a white wrap. She looked embarrassed, cute, and was wildly searching for someone with her eyes.

"And?"

"Idiot," Erza grumbled, slapping me in the head. "She didn't want to where a bikini mostly because she was afraid of what you would think." As I started to shake my head no, she spoke again. "Her 'little' crush is obvious. They both like you, one more willing to show it than the other, and I think you need to decide. You can't leave Juvia hanging."

She was right. But what one did I like?

I was under the impression Nicole only liked me as a friend. Well, according to the girls, she actually likes me. Like, like-likes me. Juvia loves me and isn't afraid to show it. Lyon seems to like both of them, while both of them like me. So… I guess whoever I chose, the other one gets Lyon. We're all similar- Juvia is a water mage, Nicole is an ice mage- but I can't stand the thought of either of them with Lyon. But I'm dragged up out of my chair before I can think more.

"Come on, Gray-sama! Let's go on the love slide!" Juvia squealed, tugging me to the stairs of the slide. Reluctantly, I followed, only because Erza looked like she would murder me if I didn't. I looked around for Nicole. She was being tugged by Lyon.

"Lyon, really, I don't want to, go look for Juvia-"

"No, my lovely! Come with me," My rival exclaimed. Nicole broke out of his grip and spotted me. Although her cheeks flushed, she raced over to me and Juvia.

"Help me," she gasped dramatically. I grinned. Juvia fumed. Lyon gawked. Although bickering, we all eventually made it to the top of the Love Slide.

"All right, let me down the stairs, I'm not going," Nicole declared, still crossing her arms over her chest. Juvia nodded for Nicole to go. I grabbed her wrist at the same time as Lyon.

"Stay, Nicole!" Lyon gasped dramatically.

"Lay off, Lyon," I snapped, whacking his hand away.

"Gray-sama! Go with Juvia!" The bluenette whined.

I blushed. "I, um, no-"

"No!" Nicole jerked away from a desperate Lyon once more, causing her to slip and fall back. She twisted away from the slide and clutched the edge, resulting in her swaying on the side, clutching the side with one hand. "I'm fine!" She called. "Just slightly terrified!"

"I've got you." I lunged forward with hesitation and grabbed her wrists, hauling her up. She perched on the edge of the slide, where a fuming Juvia was waiting. "Thanks-"

"AGHHHHHHH!"

That was when the Fire Dragon Slayer flew though the air and smacked the heart on the top of the slide.

All four of us tumbled down slide together.

Now, naturally, four people on one slide is not good. Nicole squirmed around at the front, and turned her head up to face me. "Mountain!"

I didn't understand what she meant at first, but she grabbed the edge of the slide and swung herself over. I did the same, leaving Lyon and Juvia on the slide by themselves.

"Yay," she said with a laugh, gripping the edge of the slide with one hand. "That was fun, but Juvia may have kicked my wound." I looked to her stomach, but there was no bandages. No sign of a wound.

She caught my stare and grinned sheepishly. "Mira's magic. She made the bandages blend in with my skin tone."

I nodded along, and then glanced at the slide. I saw Levy and Gajeel sliding together, Erza and "Jellal", Evergreen and Elfman. Natsu and Lucy seemed to have been stuck together.

"Whoa," Nicole whispered after a moment. As we hung side by side, she grinned at me. "Drop?"

"Drop," I confirmed, and we dropped like stones together into the rest of the slide.

Tightly wrapping my arms around her, I felt my cheeks heat up. She was squeezing her eyes shut, and trying to control her motion sickness. I squeezed her tighter.

Then we bumped into Lyon and Juvia.

"Ice brat!" Lyon spat. "Ruining my moment!"

"Oh, yeah?" I countered. "Well, eat this!"

And this resulted in everything being frozen, then everything being destroyed because of Natsu. Typical.

But when we landed, Nicole was still clutched tightly in my arms, sighing in relief at the idea of no more movement.


	37. GMG, Day 4: Four Dragons

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 37!**

**Iceberry2666: Honestly? At first, I wanted Nicole to have green hair XD But I just couldn't imagine it! I envy your faith in the green hair!**

**THANK YOU for the reviews!~ :)**

_**Previously:**_

"_Yay," she said with a laugh, gripping the edge of the slide with one hand. "That was fun, but Juvia may have kicked my wound." I looked to her stomach, but there was no bandages. No sign of a wound._

_She caught my stare and grinned sheepishly. "Mira's magic. She made the bandages blend in with my skin tone."_

_I nodded along, and then glanced at the slide. I saw Levy and Gajeel sliding together, Erza and "Jellal", Evergreen and Elfman. Natsu and Lucy seemed to have been stuck together. _

"_Whoa," Nicole whispered after a moment. As we hung side by side, she grinned at me. "Drop?"_

"_Drop," I confirmed, and we dropped like stones together into the rest of the slide._

_Tightly wrapping my arms around her, I felt my cheeks heat up. She was squeezing her eyes shut, and trying to control her motion sickness. I squeezed her tighter._

_Then we bumped into Lyon and Juvia._

"_Ice brat!" Lyon spat. "Ruining my moment!" _

"_Oh, yeah?" I countered. "Well, eat this!"_

_And this resulted in everything being frozen, then everything being destroyed because of Natsu. Typical._

_But when we landed, Nicole was still clutched tightly in my arms, sighing in relief at the idea of no more movement._

**Chapter 37: Grand Magic Games, Day 4**

**Normal POV**

The morning after Ryetsu Land flew by quickly.

The next event was held inside a water sphere. Lucy quickly volunteered, which relieved Nicole, because she honestly did not want to be in a bathing suit again. Lucy did really well- Aquarius was a big help, but Juvia was there too. Gray shrunk down in the stands when Juvia proclaimed her love for him. Lyon was shaking in fury.

Milo of Twilight Ogre was the first one pushed out of the sphere. Then, Rocker from Quatro Ceburus. Risley Law of Mermaid Heel, Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus, and Chelia Blendy of Lamia Scale followed. Juvia, becoming distracted by her love for Gray-sama, fell out of the ring as well.

The final standoff was Lucy against Minerva of Sabertooth. Apparently, Yukino had been kicked out of Sabertooth for her failure (and Natsu had beat up several members in the process) and now Minerva was taking her place. The battle was brutal- Lucy was helpless and Minerva tortured her inside the water sphere. When Lucy finally fell out of the water, Natsu leaped out of the stands to catch her.

Gray, Erza, and Nicole al huddled around Lucy. "Come on, Lucy, Lucy, wake up!" Gray hissed through his teeth.

"Lucy!" Nicole whispered urgently. "Let's get her to Wendy!"

"No need! I'm here!" The tiny Sky Dragon Slayer ran out onto the playing field and quickly began to focus her energy on Lucy.

"I'll help too!" Chelia Blendy, whom it turns out also had healing qualities, and was good friends with Wendy. They both quickly set to work.

Erza glared down the members of Sabertooth. "You. Are messing with the wrong guild."

When it looked like a fight would ensue, Mato pushed himself in between the two teams. "Now, now, um, go to your seats, kabo!" Reluctantly, the two guilds sat down in the stands, awaiting that moment where they could fight each other once and for all.

**1: Sabertooth: 44 points**

**2: Fairy Tail B: 36 points**

**3: Fairy Tail A: 35 points**

**4: Mermaid Heel: 38 points**

**5: Twilight Ogre: 31 points**

**6: Lamia Scale: 28 points**

**7: Blue Pegasus: 22 points**

**8: Quatro Puppy: 16 points**

"On we go, to the doubles matches!" Chapati cheered with excitement. "If you take a look at our standings, it seems Lamia Scale has fallen behind." To this, Jura simply smirked, and Lyon cracked his knuckles. "In the lead by a good 8 points, Sabertooth looks ready to take the title once more! But both Fairy Tail teams are catching up. What could this mean for the outcome of the games?

"First up, by audience request, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki and… the rabbit…. against Rocker and Bacchus Groh from Quatro Puppy!"

Both teams headed into the sandy arena. In a moment's shock, the rabbit revealed itself to be Nichiya, the exceed from Edolas. However, Nichiya was out quickly, causing Ichiya to take his parfum of strength, walloping Bacchus and Rocker. This earned Blue Pegasus ten points.

"Next up, we have Lamia Scale's Lyon Vastia and Chelia Blendy against Twilight Ogre's Thibault and Corinbolt!"

After a drawling ten minute match, in which Chelia revealed she was the Sky God Slayer, Lamia Scale beat the Twilight Ogre rookies, earning themselves ten points for their team.

"Third, we have Fairy Tail B's Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox against Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi and Millianna!"

Fairy Tail watched in anticipation as Juvia fought Millianna and Gajeel took on Kagura. They were fairly evenly matched- Gajeel and Juvia had the slight advantage of working together in many previous years. Millianna was out before long, and a strike from Kagura's sheathed sword took out Juvia. Gajeel, growling in frustration, nearly took off the Mermaid Heel leader's head, and she retaliated by slicking downwards. But before the sheathed blade could reach its mark, the whistle blew, symbolizing a tie between the two teams. Gajeel, slightly frustrated with the results, helped a sulky Juvia back to the stands.

"And finally, the match you've all been waiting for!"

Fairy Tail A knew immediately they were going to place them against Sabertooth's twin dragons. This was audience request, after all. Natsu would probably end up facing them, alongside Nicole. Nicole only figured she would go on because the crowd wanted to see how long she'd last against the duo.

"Sabertooth's Twin Dragon Slayer, Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney!"

The crowd cheered wildly.

"Against Fairy Tail A's, Natsu Dragneel and Nicole Emereon!"

Well, they knew it was coming.

As the walked out onto the arena floor, Natsu whispered to Nicole. "You know, you're going to have to use your powers at some point."

Nicole nodded. "I'll take them by surprise at one point, then you pound their faces in while they're shocked."

Natsu Dragneel grinned. "Sounds good!"

And so they went.

Sting and Rogue were waiting for them in the centre of the arena. Nicole glanced briefly at Natsu.

Sting smirked. "Aw, is little baby scared?"

"You'll be the one scared by the time I'm done with you," Nicole snarled. And together, Natsu and Nicole charged.


	38. GMG, Day 4: Dragon Force?

**We are at Secrets Can Kill, chapter 38!**

**The moment we've all been waiting for! Thank you for the reviews! I got some reviews from people who had never reviewed before, so thank you for that :) I hope you guys enjoy :)**

_**Previously:**_

"_And finally, the match you've all been waiting for!"_

_Fairy Tail A knew immediately they were going to place them against Sabertooth's twin dragons. This was audience request, after all. Natsu would probably end up facing them, alongside Nicole. Nicole only figured she would go on because the crowd wanted to see how long she'd last against the duo._

"_Sabertooth's Twin Dragon Slayer, Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney!"_

_The crowd cheered wildly._

"_Against Fairy Tail A's, Natsu Dragneel and Nicole Emereon!"_

_Well, they knew it was coming._

_As the walked out onto the arena floor, Natsu whispered to Nicole. "You know, you're going to have to use your powers at some point."_

_Nicole nodded. "I'll take them by surprise at one point, then you pound their faces in while they're shocked."_

_Natsu Dragneel grinned. "Sounds good!"_

_And so they went._

_Sting and Rogue were waiting for them in the centre of the arena. Nicole glanced briefly at Natsu._

_Sting smirked. "Aw, is little baby scared?"_

"_You'll be the one scared by the time I'm done with you," Nicole snarled. And together, Natsu and Nicole charged._

**Chapter 38: Grand Magic Games, Day 4**

**Nicole's POV**

I'd like to say we took out the Twin Dragon Slayers in one hit. But unfortunately, that wouldn't be accurate.

Natsu and I timed our charges to perfection. The moment's shock from the two opponents was all Natsu needed to pound Rogue in the face. Sting was slightly quicker- he raised his own fists to punch me in return. I thought back to my very first battle- the one against Natsu, back when I first joined. I ducked under his fist and hammered my fist into his gut. I briefly let my Dragon Slayer qualities show and he flew backward, tumbling across the sandy arena floor.

Natsu turned and grinned at me. "Not bad!"

"You're not so bad yourself," I retorted playfully.

_***Are they… bickering? Now's not the time, especially against two of Fiore's toughest fighters. But that first blow is one way to start us off! Did you see that power?***_

Chapati's voice boomed over the announcement system, across to all viewers. I seriously considered giving him a not-so-nice finger gesture but decided against it. Sting and Rogue were already up and sizing us up.

"Not bad," Sting smirked, cracking his knuckles. "It'll take more than that to knock us down."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say," I muttered sarcastically.

"I only have an interest in Gajeel," Rogue grumbled bitterly. "But I suppose one of you will have to do." He turned to face his partner. "Let's finish this quickly." Stign grinned.

"Just the way I like it!" Pure white energy was gathering in Sting's palm. Dark black energy was appearing in Rogue's. Natsu didn't even look slightly fazed.

"Ready, Nikki?" He asked. I grinned and nodded.

But the Twin Dragon Slayers didn't give us a minute to prepare. They leaped.

Sting was quick. With all the extra power he had, it was difficult to dodge, much less make a hit on him. I twirled away from one hand, jumped over one foot, and rolled under him, snatching his ankle and tugging. Sting stumbled, giving me the moment I needed, and I nailed my foot into the back of his knee. But it barely fazed him.

_***Nicole Emereon seems to be having a difficult time keeping up with power-house Sting! She's not using any power besides her bare fists. But here's a thought for you- does she even have any other magic?***_

I mumbled a string of curse words under my breath and rolled away from Sting. Natsu would be a better match for him. I looked up to Chapati and said something not-so nice that I bet everyone heard. I saw out of the corner of my eyes Gray, Erza, and Wendy. Gray was grinning slightly, Erza was smiling, and Wendy was cheering her hardest. The rest of Fairy Tail was laughing and rooting for us as well. Feeling slightly more motivated, I faced Sting again.

"So is that it? You have no other magic?" Sting mocked, crossing his arms. "Sounds appropriate."

"Need I remind you about the excess amount of power I can bring to the table?" I countered.

Sting grinned. "Your magic could be making yourself seem better than you actually are."

I flinched. He hit a nerve.

_***Sting is up and at 'em! Meanwhile, Natsu hasn't yet landed a fist on Rogue!***_

I saw Natsu struggling to land a hit on Rogue behind Sting. Rogue was melting into shadow. With my Ice powers, I could put a halt in his tracks…

I faced Sting again, only to find he already moved.

I barely dodged the punch to my head before he slammed his palm into my gut.

Wheezing, I tumbled backward, and Sting danced back. He hit my wound. He hit my freaking wound.

_***Nicole seems to be in trouble! Is something wrong?***_

With all my will I wanted him to shut up.

_***Where's the paralysis power she used on Day 2?***_

Okay, now I was pissed. "It doesn't work on Dragon Slayers, dolt!" I hollered up to the announcer's booth, trembling to stand.

I heard the murmurs sweep across the crowd as I struggled for another breath. Sting was laughing at me, and I heard him charge again.

"Natsu! Switch!" I yelled. Straining myself, I rolled out of Sting's way as Natsu came thundering in, his fists flaming with fire power. I heard him yell, "About time!" And I found myself face to face with Rogue.

"Shadows," The Shadow Dragon Slayer whispered, and he melted into the ground.

Judging from Natsu's show, chasing him around would do no good. So I stayed still and closed my eyes, grateful for the extra seconds to concentrate on resealing my gaping knife wound. I could hear Porlyusica now, "She should've stayed in bed!" I smiled at the thought.

_***What's this? Nicole seems like she's trying to fall asleep! And Sting has put a paralysis charm on the Fire Dragon Slayer!***_

_There._

I slammed my fist at where Rogue appeared, only milliseconds before he could hit me in return. He made a gasping sound and teetered back, where I kicked him in the chest and sent him back even further.

_***Nicole is countering the famous Shadow Dragon Slayer! Without magic! What exactly is she doing?***_

I turned to Natsu to watch the most epic thing I've seen in a while. Sting had indeed placed a charm on Natsu- he had a magic circle fading on his chest. Natsu looked surprised, but not the least bit concerned. As Sting charged to punch a supposedly-paralyzed Natsu, my team mate twisted and knocked Sting into the ground. He had burned off the magic circle, leaving a gaping whole in his robes. I laughed.

I nearly forgot about Rogue.

My instincts had me twist just in time to avoid a flying fist. I tried to pretend I meant to do it by stepping casually out of the way, but Rogue twisted the shadows around him to rotate and uppercut me in the stomach.

_He knows my weak point too._

I rolled backwards several times, hissing to myself. I found myself kneeling on the ground, far from Natsu's aid. Rogue was already closing the distance. I knew it was now or never.

_Ice Dragon powers come on… Now would be a good time…_

I braced myself for impact.

But it never came.

To my relief, ice had formed a spiky barrier around me, resulting in Rogue smacking his body against some very solid ice- made by yours truly. "YES!" I cheered to myself, before willing the ice to vanish. Cat's out of the bag. I stood up, smiling giddily like a maniac.

Natsu backed up into me. "So they know?"

I grinned even more. "Kinda."

Natsu smiled in understanding. We both turned to face our two opponents, who were obviously frazzled.

"Ice," Rogue murmured. Sting didn't say a word.

_***DID YOU SEE THAT? I REPEAT, DID YOU SEE THAT? IN ALL OF THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES HISTORY, THIS BATTLE TAKES THE CAKE! SHE'S AN ICE WIZARD!***_

"Shout a bit louder!" I said sarcastically. "I don't think everybody heard you!"

It was so loud in the stands that I could barely hear myself think. Fairy Tail was ecstatic, cheering for me harder than I could've imagined. Natsu was smiling at me. Gray was smirking to himself in the stands. It was awesome.

"Yeah, I'm an Ice wizard," I admitted to the Twin Dragon Slayers. "Got a problem with that?"

"Probably a pathetic one at that," Sting snarled, his snarky grin vanishing.

And that was it.

I couldn't take it.

He made me so mad.

"Uh, Nikki?" Natsu questioned. "You're kinda glowing…"

I looked down at myself. I was surrounded in an icy blue light. But I did something I regretted a minute later.

I slowly closed my eyes, perched myself on the tips of my toes, and opened my arms.

"Just try not to kill anyone!" Natsu called to me distantly, causing me to smile.

_***…What's she doing?…***_

My eyes flickered open. I saw the rooted-in-place Sabertooth members, both staring at me like I was a demon. I probably was.

"Ice Dragon… ROAR!"

The icy wind blasted the two off their feet and I heard the satisfying 'thunk' as they hit the far wall. Grinning casually, I placed one hand on my hip and sighed.

"You've been practicing," Natsu said admiringly.

I grinned. "Why thank you, oh-so-powerful Fire Dragon Slayer."

There was nobody speaking. Chapati's jaw had hit the floor up in the announcer's booth. Yajima's eyes were wide. Fairy Tail was grinning. Sabertooth was stunned. It was a very nice silence. This was exactly the reaction- or even better than- I'd hoped for.

Chapati finally found his voice. _***…I… um… is that… are they…* **_Well, kinda.

I heard a moan and turned to the limp bodies of the two Dragon Slayers. Sting and Rogue were both getting back to their feet. "Wow," Sting murmured. "That wasn't very expected." He dusted himself off. "Hardly a casualty."

"They're not dead yet?" I said in a fake whine.

Natsu grinned. "More of a fight for me!"

"So you do pack a punch, Princess," Sting snarled, smirking as he paced forward alongside Rogue.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?" I hissed.

"What, Princess?" Sting mocked.

"Oh, you die, buddy," I snarled.

Rogue turned to his partner. "Because we now know they are both Dragon Slayers, we may need to bring it up a notch."

"Well said," Sting confirmed.

Natsu and I watched as they both shone in white or black light (Is it possible to shine in black light?) and I noticed the white streaks on Sting's face. The darker aura Rogue emitted. I knew what it was before they said it's name.

"Dragon Force."

"No way!" Natsu gawked. "You can do it on will?! No fair!"

_***This is another twist! Can you believe this, ladies and gents? Dragon Force, in the flesh! The rumoured power is present in front of us! And this is now a four-Dragon Slayer battle! Who would've thought?!***_

Sting and Rogue both smiled menacingly. A faint thought passed through my brain. Maybe I could-

They didn't give me long to thing. They both charged.

They were faster than before.

They were stronger.

They fought smarter.

We didn't have much of a chance.

_***My goodness! The Fairy Tail wizards are being pummelled!***_

Even with my new revelation of my powers, we were being beaten. I used Ice Dragon Wing Attack, Ice Dragon Roar, Ice Dragon Crushing Fang, Ice Dragon Falling Ice, but nothing seemed to work. Natsu was working twice as hard as me, and was almost a match for Sting, but when Sting smashed Natsu into the ground to create a ginormous crater into the ground, with me falling through it, I knew we were doomed.

Natsu and I fought Sting blow for blow, strike for strike, dodge for dodge, but he deflected it all. Rogue had taken it upon himself to watch at the side, which I found slightly humiliating. Then a huge flash of painful white light knocked me backwards and deeper into the ground.

There was a lot of smoke and dust. I could hear Natsu breathing beside me- he had fallen with me as well. But we stood up together.

"Man, that hurt!" Natsu complained. I nodded with him.

"Barely felt a thing," I said, not in a notion to make the Sabertooth opponents angry. It was the truth. This was barely anything compared to my second origin being unlocked way back when.

"You're not even…" Sting trailed off, confused.

"I know everything!" Natsu claimed. "You swing your right hand, then your left when you go to hit. You twist a certain way. And you pivot at 11:00 when you turn." He grinned his signature Natsu grin. "I know it all."

"Natsu, isn't it 10:00?" I questioned, ignoring our opponents and Chapati.

"It's 11!" Natsu insisted.

I sighed, not wanting to fight right now. "Whatever you say."

Then something clicked in my brain. "Wait, Natsu, before you do something stupid, I want to try something." Natsu shrugged.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my second origin. I tried to imagine all my power rushing to my fingertips, then filling my body. "Dragon Force!" I called.

And when I opened my eyes, it had happened.

I never thought it would work. But I was in Dragon Force.

My clothing had changed. I didn't know why, but it did. I was now in an ice blue dress of sorts, that fell to my knees. It had long sleeves and a white sash around the middle. It was like a robe, and it was cool. My shoes were gone, leaving me barefoot. I had ice bands swirled around my ankles and wrists. My hair was… ice blue. And it was down, flat against my back. Everything was ice.

Of course, after everything that happened, the first thing I said was, "Why does it have to be a DRESS?"

Natsu gaped at me. "NO FAIR! Now I'm the only one that can't do it!"

"What the hell…" I heard Rogue whisper. I twirled.

"Get the damn dress off of me!" I hollered. "Where are my other clothes?! I liked those boots!"

I heard Fairy Tail leaping into chaos up in the stands with my dragon-slayer hearing.

"I… uh…" Sting sounded very discombobulated.

_***Ladies and gentlemen, this is a sight to behold! Nicole Emereon, never before having used Dragon Force, suddenly can!***_

"NO FAIR!" Natsu whined.

"Listen up, Princess," Sting spat, shaking in his boots. "I don't know who you are, but I want to know why we haven't heard of you until now. How'd you get all your power? It took us years to perfect that, and you did it in seconds. Why? How?"

I shrugged. "Magic?"


	39. GMG, Day 4: Thanks to Natsu

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 39! Here we go!**

**I absolutely positively LOVED writing that last chapter! I hoped you really really really really really REALLY enjoyed it! So onto this next chappie! AHH!**

**Previously:**

Then something clicked in my brain. "Wait, Natsu, before you do something stupid, I want to try something." Natsu shrugged.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my second origin. I tried to imagine all my power rushing to my fingertips, then filling my body. "Dragon Force!" I called.

And when I opened my eyes, it had happened.

I never thought it would work. But I was in Dragon Force.

My clothing had changed. I didn't know why, but it did. I was now in an ice blue dress of sorts, that fell to my knees. It had long sleeves and a white sash around the middle. It was like a robe, and it was cool. My shoes were gone, leaving me barefoot. I had ice bands swirled around my ankles and wrists. My hair was… ice blue. And it was down, flat against my back. Everything was ice.

Of course, after everything that happened, the first thing I said was, "Why does it have to be a DRESS?"

Natsu gaped at me. "NO FAIR! Now I'm the only one that can't do it!"

"What the hell…" I heard Rogue whisper. I twirled.

"Get the damn dress off of me!" I hollered. "Where are my other clothes?! I liked those boots!"

I heard Fairy Tail leaping into chaos up in the stands with my dragon-slayer hearing.

"I… uh…" Sting sounded very discombobulated.

_***Ladies and gentlemen, this is a sight to behold! Nicole Emereon, never before having used Dragon Force, suddenly can!***_

"NO FAIR!" Natsu whined.

"Listen up, Princess," Sting spat, shaking in his boots. "I don't know who you are, but I want to know why we haven't heard of you until now. How'd you get all your power? It took us years to perfect that, and you did it in seconds. Why? How?"

I shrugged. "Magic?"

**Chapter 39: Grand Magic Games, Day 4**

**Nicole's POV**

"NIKKI!" Natsu bellowed. "This is SO no fair!"

I shrugged helplessly. "Well, after what happened back when, I thought I could give it a shot?…" I offered lamely.

He stomped his foot in the ground. "Whatever. You're probably only half as powerful as me now, instead of a quarter."

I sweat dropped and laughed. _***It seems Mr. Dragneel thinks he is superior to Miss Emereon, even after her revelation!***_

"That's darn right!" Natsu hollered, grinning. Then he whispered to me, "Kidding. Now you're probably just as powerful as me. Before long, I'll probably be able to do it too!"

Warmed by his optimism, I grinned. "I'm sure you will."

Sting got tired of waiting, and he and Rogue launched themselves at us. I watched them come, and then, I blinked, and a large ice wall covered in frozen spikes loomed up in front of me. The Twin Dragon Slayers teetered backwards, and Natsu melted my shield and burst through it, charging at the frazzled Sabertooth mages. With a wave of my hand, I turned the ground around me to ice and slid across it on my bare feet. I hurled an 'Ice Dragon's Crushing Fang' at Rogue, but he slid out of the way- on the ice. Frustration, I raised my hand, and spikes burst out from under Rogue's feet. They would've done a lot of damage if he hadn't turned to shadow and moved. I spun on my toes and slashed my right hand in the White Dragon Slayer's direction, causing a barrage of icy spikes to appear. However, Sting ducked, causing enough distraction for Natsu to fly in with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist.

My icy floor didn't bother Natsu at all. Everywhere he stepped, he melted it. As amazing as it was, fire and ice were actually working together. And succeeding.

Planning a strategy, I quickly hopped up to a ledge in the cave walls, seeking higher ground. Perched on my ledge, I formed about a dozen knives. At least, I thought I did. It wasn't working. I tried to make a spear. "Ice Dragon Spear!" I hissed, but nothing happened. I guess I couldn't use the powers I learned before anymore, now that, well, I had my Ice Dragon Slayer powers.

Hissing, I called, "Ice Dragon Secret Art: Death Tornado!" I pointed both of my hands up and thought about a blizzard forming in my palms. Sure enough, a large tornado appeared, with icy spikes mixed in the roaring wind.

And then Rogue's foot slammed into my gut.

I stumbled off my perch, my tornado instantly dissolving into a hail shower. I tumbled down the side of the cavern, Rogue in pursuit. My wound stung. He hit it again!

Dang it. They know my weak spot.

I rolled to a stop on my icy floor. Natsu was busy with Sting, I thought. I'll have to get out of this myself-

Then another foot slammed into my head.

I rolled and slid across the ice, trying to find Rogue, but he had melted into shadow again. He was much quicker in his Dragon Force. I heard a loud smack, Natsu yelling, and then Sting's foot ground into my ankle. I cringed and grabbed his ankle, freezing it, but Rogue smacked a fist into my stomach. I curled up and surrounded myself in a ball of ice. Craning my head up, and saw Natsu had been knocked unconscious- no, not unconscious, just dazed. Sting and Rogue stood above me. They said something, But I couldn't hear with the ice blocking the sound. My ankle stung, but my wound killed.

I clenched my fists. The ice around me produced several spikes, causing the Twin Dragon Slayers to back up. I stood up, casing myself in the ice. It was nice without the sound. Cold and silent.

I made a fist and punched forward. I never thought it would work, but the ice in front of me burst opened and formed into a fist, smacking Sting in the jaw. Rogue attempted to turn into shadows, but I slammed my palm down, and Rogue got smushed under a fist of ice.

The ice around me evaporated and I sank to my knees. I was exhausted. Luckily, Natsu stood in front of me. "Thanks, Nikki! I can take it from here!" I nodded thankfully and stood beside Natsu.

Sting and Rogue set the bar high. Clenching their hands, they started to merge black and white light together. This was… what was the name? I'm not sure, but I've heard of it. Some sort of connection between the wizards, makes ultra cool powers, something people practice for years and never master. I step up to Natsu, but he waves me back. "I got this!"

I nod. "I've got faith in you, Natsu."

I hear Chapati yelling about Natsu against the twins, his declaration was bold and slightly stupid, and this ultimate power could destroy them all. Natsu unleashed a barrage of flames, and after a huge explosion, Sting and Rogue collapsed. Natsu did it. We did it. We won.

I hazily stood up, and we stood in front of the two opponents we beat, only after a hug and high-five. Natsu grinned. "We should do that again sometime!"

I rolled my eyes.


	40. GMG, Day 4: Parco O'Flarko

**Who ever thought we'd get to chapter 40 for Secrets Can Kill?**

**I am SO positively glad you are enjoying this story! Please review and enjoy! Happy Halloween! :D**

_**Previously:**_

_I rolled to a stop on my icy floor. Natsu was busy with Sting, I thought. I'll have to get out of this myself-_

_Then another foot slammed into my head._

_I rolled and slid across the ice, trying to find Rogue, but he had melted into shadow again. He was much quicker in his Dragon Force. I heard a loud smack, Natsu yelling, and then Sting's foot ground into my ankle. I cringed and grabbed his ankle, freezing it, but Rogue smacked a fist into my stomach. I curled up and surrounded myself in a ball of ice. Craning my head up, and saw Natsu had been knocked unconscious- no, not unconscious, just dazed. Sting and Rogue stood above me. They said something, But I couldn't hear with the ice blocking the sound. My ankle stung, but my wound killed._

_I clenched my fists. The ice around me produced several spikes, causing the Twin Dragon Slayers to back up. I stood up, casing myself in the ice. It was nice without the sound. Cold and silent. _

_I made a fist and punched forward. I never thought it would work, but the ice in front of me burst opened and formed into a fist, smacking Sting in the jaw. Rogue attempted to turn into shadows, but I slammed my palm down, and Rogue got smushed under a fist of ice. _

_The ice around me evaporated and I sank to my knees. I was exhausted. Luckily, Natsu stood in front of me. "Thanks, Nikki! I can take it from here!" I nodded thankfully and stood beside Natsu._

_Sting and Rogue set the bar high. Clenching their hands, they started to merge black and white light together. This was… what was the name? I'm not sure, but I've heard of it. Some sort of connection between the wizards, makes ultra cool powers, something people practice for years and never master. I step up to Natsu, but he waves me back. "I got this!"_

_I nod. "I've got faith in you, Natsu."_

_I hear Chapati yelling about Natsu against the twins, his declaration was bold and slightly stupid, and this ultimate power could destroy them all. Natsu unleashed a barrage of flames, and after a huge explosion, Sting and Rogue collapsed. Natsu did it. We did it. We won._

_I hazily stood up, and we stood in front of the two opponents we beat, only after a hug and high-five. Natsu grinned. "We should do that again sometime!"_

_I rolled my eyes._

**Chapter 40: Grand Magic Games, Day 4, Part 4**

**Normal POV**

"I am exhausted!"

Nicole pronounced every word like it was her last as she flopped back into the hotel room. After she 'switched off' her Dragon Force, her old clothes returned, her hair back to its normal colour and back in its pony tail. Gray grinned as the exaggerating Ice Dragon Slayer shut her eyes in a desperate attempt to sleep.

"You two did amazing!" Lucy squealed. "I've never heard the roaring of the crowd like that!" Due to her injuries, Lucy had to recover with Porlyusica and was unable to watch the match. Nicole had observed Natsu talking with the blonde mage before the match and it seemed like they were really bonding. Natsu grinned.

"That was awesome!" He cheered. Punching his fist in the air, Nicole's partner twirled, spraying fire on Erza. "Whoops, sorry!"

Erza merely smiled brightly. "It was very thrilling to watch. You both have definitely improved."

"Could've payed Porlyusica to say that," Nicole grumbled. "All she screamed about was, 'idiot! Your wound is probably twice as bad now!' God."

"Is it bad?" Gray sat himself down next to Nicole.

The Ice Dragon Slayer shrugged. Slowly peeling back her black top up to her rib cage, the team stared at her knife injury. It didn't look nearly as bad- there was still a mad red slit beside her belly button and angry red marks around it. You could faintly see red scratches down her arms- faint, but still there. She shrugged. "Scars really don't go away, do they?"

"I'm amazed you can talk about it so casually," Erza remarked, combing her hair back.

Said girl shrugged again. "I just keep moving forward. I wish I had learned to do that earlier."

"Wise words from Nicole!" Gray snickered mockingly. "That's a first."

"Cut that out!" Nicole slapped Gray's shoulder.

"FIGHT!" Natsu hollered.

"Save it for the party!" Lucy said exaggeratedly as everyone followed her downstairs to the bar.

*****:::~~~…**

"Booze!" Cana hollered, slamming down her mug. "More, more, more, booze!"

"Cana!" Mirajane yelped. "That's your nine-teeth mug!"

"BRING ON TWENTY!" The drunk lady yelled.

A party was in full fledge in the Fairy Tail bar. Both teams were being celebrated for their accomplishments, but Natsu and Nicole were being highlighted. I mean, what would you expect?

"You mind?" Nicole beckoned to Gray, who understood immediately. In a swift movement of his hands, the Ice wizard revealed a Fairy Tail symbol in his palms. Nicole gratefully snatched it and nibbled on it. "Thanks."

"WOOOOO!" Natsu raced past them, pursued by Erza. "I didn't mean to step on your cake, Erza! Honest! Happy, help!"

Wendy was laughing alongside Carla at Erza's fury. They had now fully recovered and the guild welcomed the duo back happily. Makarov was very content (with his beer) and watched his children laugh (and in Cana, Macao, and Wakaba's situation, get drunk). Everyone was having a delightful time until the man with the violet hair showed up.

"Hello hello hello! We are on with Grand Magic Games news, here at the sight of the Fairy Tail party." He said all this so fast Gray blinked and he was finished. The man had small, squinty eyes and a large hooked nose, but his grin was so large it took up half his face. A man with some sort of camera followed, filming the strange man.

"Fairy Tail has indeed made a comeback that was never expected!" Purple-Hair hollered. "Let's-see-if-I-can-find-out-why." He spoke so quickly that the bar went silent in confusion.

"Parco O'Flarko here reporting!" The man cheered. "GRAY FULLBUSTER!" He whirled around and nearly smacked Gray across the face with a microphone. "How have the games been going for you? And your large upset on Day One?"

Gray angrily turned on the camera man. "Games are fine. Now why don't you-"

"Good, good," Parco agreed, turning for his next victim- ah, sorry, interviewee. "ERZA SCARLET!" He sped over to her at the speed of light, his camera man following in hot pursuit. If Parco O'Flasko bother her, she didn't show it. "Amazing performance yesterday, and our viewers quite agree. Are you enjoying the games?"

"They are very entertaining," Erza gushed. "And I-"

"Splendid! LUCY HEARTFILIA!"

"Um, well, there's a lot of strong people here-"

"And the people we are really here for!" Parco cheered, causing Lucy to wilt in disappointment. "NATSU DRAGNEEL!"

"Yo!" Natsu called. "You're annoying."

Parco stepped back, shocked. "Very rude of you, Mr. Dragneel." (Gray chortled for Natsu being called such formalities!) Natsu simply snorted.

"Annoying!" He repeated. Happy agreed with a shake of his head.Parco replied with a huff of his cheeks and turned towards the guild master.

"Are you proud of your members?"

Makarov hiccuped. "Extremely! They performed superbly!" He downed another mug of beer and managed a grin.

"Wonderful, wonderful," Parco chattered, leaving a chuckling Makarov to his drinking. "NICOLE EMEREON!"

The Ice Dragon Slayer rolled her eyes and sipped her smoothie. "Go away."

"Miss! You had an outstanding match today! How did you do it? You have never done that before! You mentioned incidents from the past. What happened? Why was your stomach your weak spot?"

"You ask too many questions," Nicole growled. With a flick of her wrist, an icy mask covered Parco's mouth. Everyone in the guild laughed, but being humiliated on public television was not Parco's idea of fun. Frustrated, Parco O'Flarko massaged the ice until it melted and glared.

"Miss Emereon, our viewers would be delighted to know the answer to any of these questions-"

Nicole rolled her eyes. "And I said no." She went back to her smoothie. Gray grinned at her from across the table.

"Is it a secret?" The nosy reporter leaned in towards the interviewee. "Secrets are exactly what keep our station running."

"How many times," Nicole growled, "Do I have to say no?" Blue light gathered in her palms, but Parco O'Flarko pursued his questions.

"At least answer me this," he breathed. "Why was your stomach affected more than anything in that match? Are you pregnant?"

Nicole nearly spat out her drink. Choking, she gasped. "My god! No!"

"Then why?" Parco wasted no time closing the gap between the two. Nicole reflexively held her palm out in front of her.

Parco stopped wisely. "Unless you want a fate worse than death," she whispered eerily, "you'll leave now and bugger off." All for good measure, she closed her hand in a fist, where icy spikes burst around her knuckles.

Mr. O'Flarko gulped nervously. "Let's not be hasty."

"Let's not be nosy," Nicole retorted.

Glaring, Parco backed up and towards the door, all while on film. "This isn't over, Miss Emereon." And he slammed the door behind him to cheers.


	41. GMG, Day 5: Why Natsu is Tied to a Pole

**Chapter 41 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**

_**Previously:**_

"_Miss! You had an outstanding match today! How did you do it? You have never done that before! You mentioned incidents from the past. What happened? Why was your stomach your weak spot?"_

"_You ask too many questions," Nicole growled. With a flick of her wrist, an icy mask covered Parco's mouth. Everyone in the guild laughed, but being humiliated on public television was not Parco's idea of fun. Frustrated, Parco O'Flarko massaged the ice until it melted and glared._

"_Miss Emereon, our viewers would be delighted to know the answer to any of these questions-"_

_Nicole rolled her eyes. "And I said no." She went back to her smoothie. Gray grinned at her from across the table._

"_Is it a secret?" The nosy reporter leaned in towards the interviewee. "Secrets are exactly what keep our station running."_

"_How many times," Nicole growled, "Do I have to say no?" Blue light gathered in her palms, but Parco O'Flarko pursued his questions._

"_At least answer me this," he breathed. "Why was your stomach affected more than anything in that match? Are you pregnant?"_

_Nicole nearly spat out her drink. Choking, she gasped. "My god! No!"_

"_Then why?" Parco wasted no time closing the gap between the two. Nicole reflexively held her palm out in front of her._

_Parco stopped wisely. "Unless you want a fate worse than death," she whispered eerily, "you'll leave now and bugger off." All for good measure, she closed her hand in a fist, where icy spikes burst around her knuckles._

_Mr. O'Flarko gulped nervously. "Let's not be hasty."_

"_Let's not be nosy," Nicole retorted. _

_Glaring, Parco backed up and towards the door, all while on film. "This isn't over, Miss Emereon." And he slammed the door behind him to cheers._

**Chapter 41: Grand Magic Games, Day 5, Part 1**

**Normal POV**

"…So you mean to say…"

"LUCY'S BEEN CAPTURED?"

"More like taken hostage-"

"They're the same thing, Gray!"

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"Why?"

"Calm down!"

"EVERYONE OF YOU BRATS SHUT UP!"

The guild quieted down as Makarov slammed his humongous fist on the bar side table. "Enough! Explain, Gajeel!"

"Oi," the Iron Dragon Slayer complained, "I don't know much. I found this weird dragon grave yard thing, so I thought I'd get the rest of the dragon slayers, 'cause it was worth checking out."

"And," Nicole added, "Stubborn ole Gray here and Lucy decided to come along."

"Hey!" Gray protested. "I'm not stubborn." He crossed his arms and glared at the Ice Dragon Slayer.

Nicole smirked and poked him. "Touchy, touchy."

"ANYWAYS," Gajeel grumbled, "If you two love birds are finished, the squirt here-" he gestured towards a sheepish Wendy- "managed to communicate with an old dragon named Zirfungus-"

"Zirconis," Wendy hissed.

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Whatever. As I was saying, we talked to him, and…" his throat dried. He didn't exactly want to mention how the four of them were eventually going to turn into dragons. "He, uh, told us that Acnologia destroyed everything way back when." Well, that was partially true. The guild murmured their disapproval. Cana slurped her beer.

"And so this guard came, said there was a project to go back in time and somehow destroy Acnologia and Zeref, and they needed Celestial mages, so they took Lucy, zapped Natsu's powers, and kicked us out."

Makarov nodded. "So that's why Erza strapped Natsu to a pole."

"LET ME GO!" A fired up and feisty Natsu whined. "We gotta go save Lucy! If none of you will, I will! She's family!"

Makarov considered this. "One of our family has been taken against her will. On top of this, the Grand Magic Games officials have asked us to combine our team in order to make the final stage fair. This is what we'll do…"

*****:::~~~…**

The next day the teams were greeted with a shock as only five Fairy Tail members walked onto the arena floor. Surely, Natsu Dragneel would be there, right?

So why wasn't he?

The crowd expressed their shock and anger while the announcers, Chapati, Yajima, and to Nicole's disgust, Parco O'Flarko, commented on this rash decision.

"Is this really a good idea? After his performance yesterday, Natsu would be a sure choice for the new team. Instead, we have Erza Scarlet-"

"An obvious choice."

"-Gray Fullbuster-"

"Of course."

"-Laxus Dreyar-"

"No surprise there."

"-Gajeel Redfox-"

"Hmm, after his display yesterday… (to this Gajeel angrily shook his middle finger at Parco)"

"-and Nicole Emereon."

"That mysterious girl…"

"Yeah, because mysterious was really what I was going for," Nicole complained. She scuffed her black boots against the sand.

"You got that, though," Laxus admitted. Nicole, although she had never been close with the Lightning mage, smirked anyways.

The team eyed their opponents thoughtfully. Gray sighed. "I can't wait to pound Lyon's face in." He stared wistfully at Lyon, as if he was already imagining beating him up.

"Is it only because he's making goggly eyes at Nikki and Juvia?" Gajeel asked with a 'gihihi'. Gray flamed red and glared at Gajeel, while Nicole blushed quietly in the background. Erza smiled softly.

"I like our matching uniforms." Erza was dressed in a snazzy light purple robe with her flaming hair in an intricate ponytail. Gray, Gajeel, and Laxus had black robes with hints of purple (but Gray had a purple top) and Gajeel had an orange headband. Erza, very childishly, had pinned Nicole until she agreed to wear a dress (very begrudgingly). Nicole's hair was in its usual pony tail (she refused to let it be anything different) and her dress was yes, purple. She had matching black boots with Erza. Her dress was a deep, violet purple, and the bottom looked kind of like Juvia's dress- one sheet covering the back, one of the front, in order to give legs flexibility. There was a black belt and the top closed together around her neck. You could see a bit of her Fairy Tail logo peering out from underneath. As well she had detached sleeves that hung from mid-bicep to her wrist. Now that she thought about it… it kind of resembled Gray's outfit. She decided not to point that out.

Nicole grinned. "Mine's actually kind of cool."

"I knew it!" Erza declared. The girls giggled.

"Will all teams set up in the town, please? Teams, move towards your starting point."

"Time to go," Laxus grumbled. Gajeel, Erza, and Laxus all walked off while Gray and Nicole trailed behind slightly.

Gray turned his head to watch Nicole as they navigated through the streets. "You okay?" He asked quietly.

Nicole shrugged. "Well…"

***Cue flash back… to last night***

_After Parco O'Flarko stormed angrily out of the building, the guild resumed their partying, so nobody noticed when Nicole slipped out of the crowd. Not even highly perceptive Natsu, who was angrily struggling with Erza holding a sword to his throat. He would've taken on the entire magical government by himself trying to save Lucy._

_However, after several minutes, Gray Fullbuster noticed the disappearance of the normally-loud-and-rambuctious- Ice Dragon Slayer and decided to search. He found her sitting on the top of a balcony rail outside the guild party area. He took a few steps towards her and stopped. She didn't look back. _

"_Nicole? You good?" He asked. _

_Nicole patted the side of the balcony next to her. "Sit."_

_Gray sat._

"_I… I think today was a fluke."_

_Gray gasped. "Why would you say that?" He asked, slightly mocking the girl._

_Nicole glared at him in faux anger. "Very funny. I mean that, with my wound and all, I should've lost, right? I didn't even have my eye thing available to use. And, I mean, I don't get it. I'm not as skilled as Natsu, not as powerful as Gajeel, not as smart as Wendy."_

_Gray rolled his eyes. "Nicole, you may not be as experienced or as powerful, but you're really strategic. You know how to use your powers. Natsu's a bit more rash, and yes he's got more power, but you know _how_ to use your powers. That makes a difference." He smiled. "And it seems you're pouring your heart and soul into it too."_

_Nicole blushed. "I'm different, though. Like, Natsu and Wendy and Gajeel can't… MAKE things with their powers. I mean, I made the icy floor and cages and shields and stuff like that. They can't. Gajeel can turn into metal and extend metal arms and stuff, Wendy can heal and use flying abilities and stuff, Natsu's… just Natsu. Me? I mean, I can make floors and stuff, and use Dragon Force at will, but honestly, I'm not as good as people butter me up to be."_

_There was a silence. Gray broke the ice. "You excited for tomorrow?"_

"_God, no. I'm terrified!" Nicole blurted out. Embarrassed, she sighed. "I'm so terrified, actually. I don't know how you guys manage such confidence but I'm so nervous I'm going to mess up, let you guys down, and lose the games. I was absolutely positively scared for our Sabertooth match."_

"_You seem pretty darn confident," Gray intervened. "I can't tell you're scared. Just believe in yourself a bit more." _

"_I hesitate!" Nicole complained. "I'm so going to DIE tomorrow." She sighed again._

"_We're all a bit nervous," Gray said quietly, "but we all know our guild will be proud of us no matter what."_

***Flashback is done! Fini!***

"I'm going to DIE!" She wailed desperately, slightly exaggerated. Erza turned around and smirked. Gajeel rolled his eyes and Laxus sniffed.

Gray laughed. "Just follow the First's plan."

"I'm probably going to move," Nicole moaned. "I have no patience!" Everyone laughed.

"And she wanted me to… if I see Minerva, I have a choice, to fight, or move to my next destination point." Nicole breathed. Gray listened intently. "And I don't want to seem like a coward, but… I think the first is planning something."

Gray smirked. "Go figure."

"You know what?" Nicole declared. "I'm going to kick some ass today."

"That's the spirit!" Gray exclaimed. The two followed the rest of their team into town, obviously content.

Chapati's voice was heard as the group reached their starting point. "ARE YOU READY?"

We formed a line of five, with Erza in the centre, Gajeel and Laxus on one side, and Gray and I on the other. Gray gave my hand one quick squeeze before Chapati continued.

"3! 2! 1! GO!"

Nicole took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and hung her head…


	42. GMG, Day 5: Don't Move

**Welcome one, welcome all, to Secrets Can Kill, chapter 42!**

**I was rereading the first couple chapters and realized… well… they SUCK. :{ So I'm going to think up a logical explanation for some of Nicole's dramatics at some point. Some point. I love plot twists!**

**I FINALLY DID IT! A Fairy Tail High story is up and ready to go! I'm going to update soon!**

**Love y'all XD**

_**Previously:**_

_"I'm going to DIE!" She wailed desperately, slightly exaggerated. Erza turned around and smirked. Gajeel rolled his eyes and Laxus sniffed._

_Gray laughed. "Just follow the First's plan."_

_"I'm probably going to move," Nicole moaned. "I have no patience!" Everyone laughed._

_"And she wanted me to… if I see Minerva, I have a choice, to fight, or move to my next destination point." Nicole breathed. Gray listened intently. "And I don't want to seem like a coward, but… I think the first is planning something."_

_Gray smirked. "Go figure."_

_"You know what?" Nicole declared. "I'm going to kick some ass today."_

_"That's the spirit!" Gray exclaimed. The two followed the rest of their team into town, obviously content._

_Chapati's voice was heard as the group reached their starting point. "ARE YOU READY?"_

_We formed a line of five, with Erza in the centre, Gajeel and Laxus on one side, and Gray and I on the other. Gray gave my hand one quick squeeze before Chapati continued._

_"3! 2! 1! GO!"_

_Nicole took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and hung her head…_

**Chapter 42: The Grand Magic Games: Day 5, Part 2**

**Nicole's POV**

I refused to move or fidget or anything as the buzzer sounded. I heard the crowd's roaring cheers and Chapati excitement as teams scored point after point. Then the roar of confusion as to why we weren't moving. I suppressed a smirk. That's us, full of surprises.

They were already disappointed enough that Natsu Dragneel wasn't here today. Of course, he was out on a secret rescue mission for Lucy, but we couldn't have everyone know that. I think he went with Mirajane and Wendy and the three exceeds, but I wasn't sure. Obviously enough he didn't go with Gray, Laxus, Gajeel, Erza, or I. I was going to go myself, after all she's one of my best friends, but Master Makarov refused. "We can't put all of our eggs in one basket," he had said.

Because we had to merge into one team, they had us take the points from our win against Sabertooth and add them to our lower score prior to the doubles matches. The crowd learned this last night, as well as us, so we have a total of forty-five points. I think the standings were like this:

**1: Fairy Tail: 45 points**

**2: Sabertooth: 44 points**

**3: Mermaid Heel: 43 points**

**4: Lamia Scale: 38 points**

**5: Blue Pegasus: 32 points**

**6: Twilight Ogre: 31 points**

**7: Quatro Puppy: 16 points**

It was close. We were only ahead by one, but with the First's strategy, we could win. I hope. I was scared to death. I might face Minerva, I might not. But I know people will be expecting me to fight.

***And the Blue Pegasus trio has taken out Arãna and Beth of Mermaid Heel, earning them two points. Yuka and Toby of Lamia Scale have defeated Nobarly of Quatro Puppy, and respectively, Lyon has taken out Jagar. Jenny of Blue Pegasus surprisingly- whoops, did I say that?- defeats Zaro of Twilight Ogre. Yet Fairy Tail still hasn't moved…***

Forcing myself not to giggle at that, and squeezed my eyes shut tighter. Any second now…

***And Toby and Yuka have encountered Bacchus! Who will win this surprising encounter?***

I remembered my fight with Bacchus. Happy memories.

***What's this? Sting has taken out Bacchus for himself! And there's Milo, who's taken out Toby! AND THERE'S KAGURA!***

It all happened so quickly. Yajima was talking about how Gold Mine, Quatro Puppy's guild master, had fainted in the stands.

***And the cat lady of Mermaid Heel has tied up Rocker of Quatro Puppy! Only one Quatro Puppy member is left! oh wait, never mind! Jura took care of that. Quatro Puppy, at their sixteen points, are out.***

Six teams left.

***Sabertooth has snagged first place above a still non-moving Fairy Tail team, with 49 points! Mermaid Heel is now second place, with 46 points! Way to go, ladies! Lamia Scale has lunged forward with 3 more points, taking 41.** **Twilight Ogre, however, is at 32 points, only three behind Blue Pegasus, who stand at 35.***

I struggled with the urge not to shift my foot.

***WOW! Our little angel Chelia Blendy has taken out Twilight Ogre's leader, Thibault! Way to go, Chelia, you sweetheart! You can see Jura applauding the young God Slayer.***

Good for her. Never liked him.

***And with that, Lamia Scale is tied for second place at 46 points! Fairy Tail has dropped down to fourth!***

That makes the sixty-second time I've wanted to punch him.

***Sabertooth's Orga zaps Twilight Ogre's Corinbolt. Ouch, it doesn't look like he's going to be getting up again. Sabertooth is at 50 points. Chelia Blendy, the sweetie, has knocked out Risley Law of Mermaid Heel, sending her team into a sturdy second place above Mermaid Heel!***

Chapati's really favouring Chelia, isn't he…

***Is Fairy Tail going to move?***

_Yes, we are. _Somehow, I heard Mavis Vermillion's voice. "Commence Operation Fairy Stars!"

"RIGHT!" We all chorused, and then we took off.

I cast Gray one last quick glance, because I knew we were splitting up now but getting together soon. He was already running and didn't look back. I smiled softly and took off in my told direction. I saw Gajeel run down a street beside me.

A soft hum told me the first master was right. Rufus Lore of Sabertooth was releasing his star spell that he used on day one. It could hit us all.

_Jump two seconds before it hits- as soon as you see it._

***FAIRY TAIL IS FINALLY ON THE MOVE! GO GO GO! Rufus Lore of Sabertooth is using his signature spell, aimed for all five. Can he take them all out in one blow?***

_No, he can't. _I faintly saw the light, swallowed, and jumped and rolled to the side.

***What's this? Not one, not two, but all five members have evaded Rufus's attack! All with the exception of Laxus, who seemed to absorb the entire blow.***

I smirked to myself. Of course we did it. Gray is fine. Erza is fine. Gajeel is fine. And of course, Laxus is fine.

I ran to my next point, where the First said I was to quickly rendezvous with Gray and Gajeel, and ambush one other person. I knew I was almost there when I heard a hideous smack and Gajeel laughing. I skidded to a stop where I heard the voices, just in time to see Gray encase Hibiki in a block of ice. He seemed to be shocked, saying that it was't possible for someone to beat his Archive magic. Gray smirked and replied, well, duh. I smiled to myself when I saw Eve and Ren defeated as well. Them Marzal, the Twilight Ogre guy, lunged at Gray from behind.

"Going somewhere?"

I smacked him in the face with my fist before screeching, "ICE DRAGON ROAR!" And sending him flying out of the city, leaving a frosty trail behind him.

Gajeel sighed. "Oi, you just had to over do it?"

I shrugged sheepishly. "We're Fairy Tail. Over doing it is what we do best." I gestured to the implant where Ren had been. Gray laughed.

"All right guys, let's go. Erza will have taken out her check by now."

We all nodded. "Good luck, Gajeel!" I called over my shoulder to the black-haired Iron Dragon Slayer. I leaned over and whispered to Gray. "You ready?"

Gray nodded, smirking. "Yeah. He won't know what hit him. You got this, too."

I swallowed nervously. "Yeah. Yeah I do. Before you go?…" I extended my palm. Gray rolled his eyes, flicked his wrist, and a Fairy Tail symbol made of ice appeared.

"Good luck," I called, before I dashed away. I nibbled on the corner of the symbol, smiling to myself.

***That's a good team, right there. Gray and Nicole. As an Ice Dragon Slayer, she can eat her element to charge up. As the games progress, Fairy Tail has just earned a quick five points, tying them at 50 with Sabertooth for first place! What a comeback! But wait, Jura has knocked out Blue Pegasus's leader, Ichiya! This brings Lamia Scale into first place with 51 points, and Blue Pegasus is knocked out of the competition at 35. Twilight Ogre is also out, with 32 points. Down to the top 4!***

I didn't know how anybody was going to defeat Jura. From now on, only the good players were left. This is going to be tough.


	43. GMG, Day 5: Nicole's Weird

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 43!**

**Welcome back, guys! I hope you're enjoying it! We're getting to the good point of the story! :D :) XD**

**So enjoy!**

_**Previously:**_

_I ran to my next point, where the First said I was to quickly rendezvous with Gray and Gajeel, and ambush one other person. I knew I was almost there when I heard a hideous smack and Gajeel laughing. I skidded to a stop where I heard the voices, just in time to see Gray encase Hibiki in a block of ice. He seemed to be shocked, saying that it was't possible for someone to beat his Archive magic. Gray smirked and replied, well, duh. I smiled to myself when I saw Eve and Ren defeated as well. Them Marzal, the Twilight Ogre guy, lunged at Gray from behind._

_"Going somewhere?"_

_I smacked him in the face with my fist before screeching, "ICE DRAGON ROAR!" And sending him flying out of the city, leaving a frosty trail behind him._

_Gajeel sighed. "Oi, you just had to over do it?"_

_I shrugged sheepishly. "We're Fairy Tail. Over doing it is what we do best." I gestured to the implant where Ren had been. Gray laughed._

_"All right guys, let's go. Erza will have taken out her check by now."_

_We all nodded. "Good luck, Gajeel!" I called over my shoulder to the black-haired Iron Dragon Slayer. I leaned over and whispered to Gray. "You ready?"_

_Gray nodded, smirking. "Yeah. He won't know what hit him. You got this, too."_

_I swallowed nervously. "Yeah. Yeah I do. Before you go?…" I extended my palm. Gray rolled his eyes, flicked his wrist, and a Fairy Tail symbol made of ice appeared._

_"Good luck," I called, before I dashed away. I nibbled on the corner of the symbol, smiling to myself._

_***That's a good team, right there. Gray and Nicole. As an Ice Dragon Slayer, she can eat her element to charge up. As the games progress, Fairy Tail has just earned a quick five points, tying them at 50 with Sabertooth for first place! What a comeback! But wait, Jura has knocked out Blue Pegasus's leader, Ichiya! This brings Lamia Scale into first place with 51 points, and Blue Pegasus is knocked out of the competition at 35. Twilight Ogre is also out, with 32 points. Down to the top 4!***_

_I didn't know how anybody was going to defeat Jura. From now on, only the good players were left. This is going to be tough._

**Chapter 43: Grand Magic Games, Day 5, Part 3**

**Nicole's POV**

As I departed with Gray and Gajeel, gnawing on my ice cookie, I craned my neck to see a screen broadcasting all the fights up above. I saw Gray about to face off with Rufus. Heart pounding in my chest, I slowed to a short walk.

Careful not to let my footsteps make too much noise, I half-watched Gray's match over the lacrima.

"Emotion!" He was yelling. "I never lose to the same person twice!"

And he won.

"YES!" I yelled out loud, not caring for that instant if anyone heard. We just got one more point. We were now tied in first with Lamia Scale. 51 points!

I grinned stupidly and continued light jogging in my said direction. The First's exact words were that 'if I saw someone at my destination point, I might, if not, proceed to point N-3.' I was almost at my destination point.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Minerva," I said bravely.

My opponent smirked. "Nicole Emereon of Fairy Tail. You and Erza are both going to be interesting opponents." She casually flicked her wrist. The fur thing she had wrapped around her neck slipped off a shoulder.

I stared her down and twitched my eyes. Minerva realized what I did a second too late. Without her moving, I had a clear target. "Ice Dragon Frozen Fist!" I hollered, lunging at Minerva.

"Territory!" She screamed back.

Then there was a weird tingling sensation. Then Minerva wasn't in front of me, and I was where she had just been.

Sensing she was behind me, I kicked back, but the effects of my eye magic now gone, she rolled away and blasted dark blue-green energy at me. I rolled away, and just in time- the building behind me exploded.

So her magic can teleport things. Hmm. Interesting.

"Ice Dragon ROAR!" The icy wind propelled itself at Minerva, but she easily rolled out of the way. So she can't move inanimate things on their own- or else she could've turned it against me. Frowning, I stared off with Minerva.

Then she whispered territory again.

And we both vanished.

And reappeared on top of some building.

Next to Erza and Kagura.

"Oh man, I'll never get used to that!" I groaned, rubbing my neck. Staring up blankly, I saw all three females staring back at me. I grinned. "Hey, guys!"

***Leave it to Nicole to break the tension!***

"And leave it to damn Marco to intrude on people's privacy!" I yelled back. The three ladies stared at me like I was an idiot. _Lower their guard. _I shrugged.

"Lovely seeing you hear again, Erza," I remarked. Erza smiled quietly back at me.

"Same to you," she replied. Kagura simply glared. Minerva raised her eyebrows.

***We seem to have a four-way battle, with Fairy Tail having the upper hand!***

Kagura began emitting a purplish aura that began to creep me out. Erza's glow was red. Minerva smirked and had the air around her turn dark blue. I willed my area to turn ice blue.

This battle was only just beginning.

Erza lunged at Kagura.

Kagura lunged at me.

I lunged at Minerva.

Minerva dove in between us all.

With a large blast of light, the three of us were thrown backwards and Minerva stood in the middle of our somewhat triangle.

She smirked. "I'm going to play the way a queen will play. Let the pieces duel and sweep in to pick up the pieces." Realizing what she meant last minute, I blinked.

"NO YOU DON'T!" I screeched. As Minerva screamed, "territory!" in an attempt to leave, I lunged forward and managed to grab her ankle.

The tingling feeling returned and we both vanished.

*****:::~~~…**

We both reappeared in a room of some sort- a large, square, plain room. Minerva cursed multiple times and shook me off. "Little scum!" Calming, she smoothed down her robe. "But I guess a queen has to expect the unexpected."

"Bring it on," I snarled.

She lunged with a punch, I ducked, rolled, and slashed. It was like dancing- just with more violent, vicious, dance moves. After a minute of this, I knew I couldn't beat her easily. I needed my Dragon Force.

And Minerva seemed to realize this. "Sting and Rogue were idiots enough to give you time to harness your power. I do no such thing." As soon as I started to concentrate, she smacked her hand in my gut. Wincing as my wound hissed in pain, I rolled backwards. Damn it.

"You've got your weak point," Minerva sneered. "Why so?"

I didn't want her to get to me. Being stubborn, I sat down, crossed legged, and concentrated.

_Dragon Force, _I chanted in my head. _Dragon Force. Dragon Force._

Another hand hit my head. My shoulder, my stomach. I refused to move.

I heard Minerva cackling. "I see bandages on your stomach! Have you had an injury? Foolish girl."

_Block it out. Dragon Force._

I sensed a change. I think my hair was blue. Minerva's voice became more fearful. "No, no, no!" A palm in my stomach. I gritted my teeth- my hair was flickering between blue and brown. "Pain! Pain!" she screamed.

"Pain…" I whispered. I had a rush of unwanted memories- the torture, the dungeons, the knife. The pain, the screams, the second origin. I flinched.

"Is that a hole in your stomach?" Minerva sounded gleeful. "A knife wound! How'd you get that? Playing with knives?"

_Knives…_

Anger welled up inside me. Minerva was an enemy. This pain was unbearable.

_Blood._

I opened my eyes. I caught the reflection of myself in a broken window a few feet away.

They were blood red.

What's happening to me?


	44. GMG, Day 5: Bloodlust

**AND NOW, we have, SECRETS CAN POSSIBLY POTENTIALLY KILL YOU, chapter 44!**

**I really, really, hope you're enjoying! And 150 reviews! That's amazing! Thanks so much! I love you all! **

**Any questions? Ask me in a review! Want to see more of a character? Tell me in a review!**

_**Previously:**_

_She lunged with a punch, I ducked, rolled, and slashed. It was like dancing- just with more violent, vicious, dance moves. After a minute of this, I knew I couldn't beat her easily. I needed my Dragon Force._

_And Minerva seemed to realize this. "Sting and Rogue were idiots enough to give you time to harness your power. I do no such thing." As soon as I started to concentrate, she smacked her hand in my gut. Wincing as my wound hissed in pain, I rolled backwards. Damn it._

"_You've got your weak point," Minerva sneered. "Why so?"_

_I didn't want her to get to me. Being stubborn, I sat down, crossed legged, and concentrated. _

_Dragon Force, I chanted in my head. Dragon Force. Dragon Force._

_Another hand hit my head. My shoulder, my stomach. I refused to move._

_I heard Minerva cackling. "I see bandages on your stomach! Have you had an injury? Foolish girl."_

_Block it out. Dragon Force._

_I sensed a change. I think my hair was blue. Minerva's voice became more fearful. "No, no, no!" A palm in my stomach. I gritted my teeth- my hair was flickering between blue and brown. "Pain! Pain!" she screamed._

"_Pain…" I whispered. I had a rush of unwanted memories- the torture, the dungeons, the knife. The pain, the screams, the second origin. I flinched. _

"_Is that a hole in your stomach?" Minerva sounded gleeful. "A knife wound! How'd you get that? Playing with knives?"_

_Knives…_

_Anger welled up inside me. Minerva was an enemy. This pain was unbearable. _

_Blood._

_I opened my eyes. I caught the reflection of myself in a broken window a few feet away._

_They were blood red._

_What's happening to me?_

**Chapter 44: Bloodlust**

**Nicole's POV**

In a feeling I couldn't control, a rush of painful memories flew through my head. I felt a lust for blood. Why? That was a question I couldn't answer. I shakily stood up. My hair was blue, my dress was blue, I was barefooted, but my eyes… my eyes were blood red, and I didn't know why. All I wanted to do was destroy Minerva.

Roaring, I punched Minerva square in the gut with force I could never have managed. Minerva skidded backwards, but using her territory, had us both vanish from the room.

We now stood in the streets. I heard Yajima and Chapati shouts of shock and confusion, Marco-fricking-O'Flarko's annoying shouts of "I knew she was hiding something!" The crowd was yelling, and from my peripheral vision I saw a lacrima. Gray was staring at the lacrima, his face shocked. Erza was facing off with Kagura still- but they were talking and not paying attention to me and Minerva. Laxus looked downright confused, and Gajeel was fighting off with Rogue.

Minerva glared at me. "Your eyes make no difference to me. Tell me, who stabbed you? I want to thank them."

I glared, blood pounding in my ears and through my head. "Tenrou Island."

Minerva smirked. "You're saying…"

"Yeah," I spat, "I'm the damn reason we were trapped for seven years."

The confuzzled murmurs I could hear with my dragon slayer-enhanced hearing. Minerva threw her head back and cackled. "Of course you were! You're trouble! So, who stabbed you?"

"That's none of your business," I hissed.

"Fine then," Minerva snarled. "Answer me this, then; why has nobody ever heard of you before if you're this powerful? Surely we would've. What's your past, girl?"

I felt the urge to rush her and smack her. But I kept my cool. The bloodlust was growing stronger.

"I've been hunted," I snapped, "Hunted, captured, tortured, abandoned. I've gone through enough pain that your snide comments mean nothing to me."

"Tortured?" Minerva cackled in glee. "Sounds like something I would do."

"You already have." I smirked. "Let Millianna go, Minerva."

I knew I sounded crazy, but I could sense the blood of two beings she was hiding. One was a cat, and one was Millianna, I could tell. Hiding them put a strain on her power. Minerva glared. "M- Millianna? I've got no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you do," I laughed, taking a step forward. "Release the girl, torturing her does no good here."

I heard gasps, and from concentrating, heard Mermaid Heel's guild members squabbling and cursing the Sabertooth guild.

Minerva glared at me. "Whoever tortured you, apparently they didn't do a good enough job." She flexed her wrist, and Millianna collapsed out of nowhere, coughing a sputtering. Her body was racked in cuts and bruises.

I couldn't control the blood lust anymore. "You have _no idea _what I've gone through!" I roared. I lunged at her, screaming. A block of ice released itself from my wrist, and as Minerva ducked it, I kicked her in the leg. She teleported away. I slammed my fist into the ground, and cold ice covered the nearby buildings and floor. My advantage.

"Territory!" Minerva called, and we both reappeared in a different section of town, unfrozen. I heard Chapati screaming for the lacrima to relocate us, but it would be a few seconds. Minerva didn't take Millianna along.

***W… Well, Sabertooth gains a point for the knock out of Millianna.***

Minerva smirked. "I'll keep moving, girl. You can't freeze areas forever."

"Watch me." I summoned all my extra power I had stored, and screamed. I dropped to my knees and pushed both my palms into the ground. The ice flooded from me like quicksand, and spread across the streets and buildings. Our small area was covered.

But I didn't stop there. The ice kept going. I shut my eyes and screamed again. The ice was still moving, still spreading.

**FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT**

"What the hell?" Gajeel barked. Rogue switched out of shadow form in surprise as ice crept up under their feet and covered the walls.

**FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT**

Laxus sighed gruffly. "Nicole, you're over doing it again."

**FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT**

"WAAA!" Chelia squealed, slipping on the oncoming ice. "Where's all this coming from?" She sighed in desperation as she tried to get up and slipped again. "I should've taken ice-skating lessons," she grumbled.

**FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT**

"Ice?' Erza murmured. Kagura stared down in confusion. "Minerva, what have you done to Nicole?

**FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT**

"Nicole!" Gray hollered. "You're losing it! Pull it together!" Brushing himself off, he ran in the direction of the oncoming ice.

**FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT**

"There," I said desperately, gasping for breath. "That's much more like it."

Minerva gaped at me. "W-won't this mess up your team mates?"

"We're pretty darn adaptable," I assured her. "And they all knew this was coming. They can handle it. Wish I could say the same for your team mates."

Minerva glared. "Die."

She lunged at me and punched me in the stomach. Or, attempted to. An icy wall rose in front of me. "Territory!" She screeched, and then with a tingling sensation, I was lunging at my wall of ice where Minerva was hiding.

"Predictable," I muttered, and I dove my palm into the only flat spot in the entire shield, and the thing shattered. I flipped backwards as Minerva kicked forward, then lunged. "Ice Dragon ROAR!" I called, but Minerva used territory and jumped out of the way. I growled to myself.

"How were you tortured?" Minerva taunted. "Did someone show you nightmares? Slap you repeatedly? Drive a knife in your gut multiple times?"

I glared again. "Think twenty times worse."

I lunged again. "You've got NO IDEA how much pain I went through!" I screamed. I kicked a slashed, causing a building to rip apart. "Worse than you could ever imagine!" I punched downwards, and Minerva leaped back. I could smell her fear. "And my guild mates were the only ones who could save me, even after I stranded them on an island because of my stupid mistakes!"

Minerva punched my in the gut but I barely felt it. Her surprise was genuine as I punched her back. "You have no right to judge me," I hissed, standing up straight as Minerva cowered a few steps away.

"Red!" She screeched suddenly when she found her voice. "Your clothes, your hair!"

They matched my eyes. I pulled a lock of the straight, used-to-be-brown hair, that was now blood red. My robe was slowly fading from the original blue to red. Red scars swirled up my calves. Rage and anger tore through me. "I'm going to kill you, Minerva!" I screamed. As I released my Ice Dragon's Roar, it was red. I didn't feel like such an Ice Dragon Slayer anymore.

I felt like a Blood Dragon Slayer.

Minerva knew I was dead serious.

That might've been why she vanished.

Suddenly, I stopped. She was gone. I turned in a 360 degree circle, staring for an opponent. Where was she?

"MINERVAAAAAAAA!" I screeched at the top of my lungs.

What happened to me? Why the blood lust? Where did I get this power? Why?

I collapsed on the ground. _Dragon Force off, _I whispered in my mind. My hair wrapped itself back in its ponytail- back to its normal shade of brown. My eyes faded to their funky mix of brown, green, and blue. I sobbed quietly to myself.

_What did I just do?…_


	45. GMG, Day 5: Jura Attacks

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 45 :)**

**Enjoy XD**

_**Previously:**_

"_How were you tortured?" Minerva taunted. "Did someone show you nightmares? Slap you repeatedly? Drive a knife in your gut multiple times?"_

_I glared again. "Think twenty times worse."_

_I lunged again. "You've got NO IDEA how much pain I went through!" I screamed. I kicked a slashed, causing a building to rip apart. "Worse than you could ever imagine!" I punched downwards, and Minerva leaped back. I could smell her fear. "And my guild mates were the only ones who could save me, even after I stranded them on an island because of my stupid mistakes!"_

_Minerva punched my in the gut but I barely felt it. Her surprise was genuine as I punched her back. "You have no right to judge me," I hissed, standing up straight as Minerva cowered a few steps away. _

"_Red!" She screeched suddenly when she found her voice. "Your clothes, your hair!"_

_They matched my eyes. I pulled a lock of the straight, used-to-be-brown hair, that was now blood red. My robe was slowly fading from the original blue to red. Red scars swirled up my calves. Rage and anger tore through me. "I'm going to kill you, Minerva!" I screamed. As I released my Ice Dragon's Roar, it was red. I didn't feel like such an Ice Dragon Slayer anymore._

_I felt like a Blood Dragon Slayer._

_Minerva knew I was dead serious. _

_That might've been why she vanished._

_Suddenly, I stopped. She was gone. I turned in a 360 degree circle, staring for an opponent. Where was she?_

"_MINERVAAAAAAAA!" I screeched at the top of my lungs._

_What happened to me? Why the blood lust? Where did I get this power? Why?_

_I collapsed on the ground. Dragon Force off, I whispered in my mind. My hair wrapped itself back in its ponytail- back to its normal shade of brown. My eyes faded to their funky mix of brown, green, and blue. I sobbed quietly to myself._

What did I just do?…

**Chapter 45: Grand Magic Games, Day 5, Part 4**

**Normal POV**

Staggering to her feet, Nicole shook herself out and slid across the now-icy arena floor. It was a slow, mournful movement.

***In an unexpected turn of events, Minerva has fled from the fight!***

Scowling, Nicole stomped the heel of her boot into the ice, shattering it.

Meanwhile, Erza and Kagura's fight was coming to a close. The two were tired, sweaty, and had learned a thing or two about each other- Erza insisted she had played a huge role in Simon's, Kagura's brother's, death. And Erza was the reason Kagura wasn't captured as a young child. The two stared at each other for a long time, breathing heavily.

"Kagura…" Erza whispered, her shoes slipping on the ice.

Kagura opened her mouth to say something. Suddenly, there was a flash behind her and Minerva appeared. She cast a large blow of magic energy at an unexpecting Kagura's back, and the Mermaid Heel leader could withstand no more. Kagura Mikazuchi collapsed.

***And Minerva has reappeared to claim 5 more points for Sabertooth, from the defeat of Kagura! Sabertooth is in first, with 56 points, Lamia Scale in second, with 51, and Fairy Tail in third, with 50. Mermaid Heel is out of the competition, with 46 points.***

Erza screamed in fury and launched herself at Minerva, fire raging in her eyes.

Across town, Gajeel was fighting an alarmingly weird Rogue. Something had possessed him and he was fighting with incredible strength and speed that he hadn't demonstrated before. He was vanishing into the fricking ice, Gajeel thought with frustration. Not fair.

With a quick change of pace, Gajeel gobbled up something he never thought he'd try- Rogue's shadows. The now Iron-Shadow Dragon vanished into the shadows to pursue Rogue.

***Gajeel has taken on a whole new power! Rogue better watch out now!***

Laxus marched into the town square and shed his coat to reveal his purple button down shirt. Orga Nanagear smirked at him. "So you use lightning, eh?"

Sparks crackled around Laxus as he smirked back. "So do you."

Black lightning crackled around the Sabertooth mage. "I'm a Lightning God Slayer," he scowled. "Good luck taking me down."

***The two lightning men are about to face off!***

"And I'm a Lightning Dragon Slayer," Laxus retorted. Orga blinked his surprise. "Have fun taking me down."

***Surprise, surprise-***

A flying rock came out of nowhere and smacked Orga in the side of the head. The God Slayer tumbled head over heels across the ice. As he stopped, he collapsed.

Laxus blinked. ***WHAT?***

Jura stalked out of the street where the rock had come from. "I must admit, your friend Nicole has made it increasingly difficult to use my magic. I commend her."

Recovering from the shock, the blond mage smirked. "She's something, ain't she?"

***Uh, Lamia Scale gains one point for the knock out of Orga!***

"Bull shit," Nicole snapped as she skated along. "Complete and utter bull shit." She flicked a wrist and the ice covering a building shattered, evaporating into nothingness. Sighing, the Ice- or was it Blood?- Dragon Slayer scaled a building to gain ground. _Just like climbing the mountains in Hakobe, _she thought bitterly. _Before the damn Lightning Palace creeps tried to rape me._

Balancing on a flat roof of a building, Nicole stared down at the entire arena. Theoretically, she was supposed to meet up with Gray… "As soon as Jura is defeated," the First had said confidently. "And he will be."

Frustrated with herself, Nicole built up the ice under her feet to gain more leverage. She wasn't even worried about falling. But the drop… didn't look fun. She caught a glimpse of Gajeel- or was it Rogue?- streaking through shadows. Gajeel had absorbed some of Rogue's power. At least he had more speed now.

_There's Laxus and Orga! _Nicole spotted Laxus 'chatting' with Orga, but then Orga got a rock in the face. Nicole winced inwardly. "That looks like it hurt." Then she heard Jura compliment her ice and she smiled softly.

"I'll just make it more difficult for him," she said to herself. Raising a hand, the ice began to rumble under Jura's feet. The Earth mage looked down in surprise as ice encircled itself around his ankles.

Laxus seemed to grin. "She sure is something." He lunged at Jura, but Jura pulled a fist out of nowhere and pounded him downwards into the ice.

Cringing, Nicole stopped the ice around Jura's ankles. "There will be people stronger than you," Jura said, somewhat pleasantly, "remember that."

"Well," Laxus grunted, "Always remember there are people underneath you too." He punched upward, and Nicole released all hold on Jura, and the mage tumbled backwards.

The two began a full out brawl. Nicole struggled to remove ice under Laxus's feet so he wouldn't slip, and suppress the stone Jura wanted to pull out of the ground. She was keeping Jura from using his full magic for now. Laxus eventually noticed Nicole and grinned. However, Jura noticed too. Using a lot of magic, the building under Nicole crumbled and collapsed, swallowing the girl as she fell. Jura tossed a large rock on top of the building to ensure she wouldn't get out. Laxus gaped but grimaced; there was nothing he could now except defeat Jura.

***…Is Nicole Emereon, the Dragon Slayer, out?***

"Damn," Nicole cursed, rubbing the back of her head, "that hurt." She tried to sit up, but one of her legs was pinned. All around her was dark, and rock. No ice.

***If Nicole doesn't prove to be okay soon, we may have to count her knock out to Jura.***

"I gotta get out of here!" Nicole struggled and hissed in pain as her leg twisted. "Same darn leg as the incident at Hakobe. Fun!" Pointing her finger, Nicole moved her hand up. Ice shot upwards and burst through the rocky cover, revealing a batch of sunlight. Squinting, the Dragon Slayer shot up a firework of ice. It was extremely pretty… and it let people know she was okay.

***Nicole Emereon is hard to knock out! She's still there!***

"Of course I am," Nicole grumbled, heaving the rock off her leg. She hissed through her teeth as she felt the bones in her leg. Snapped. Broken.

"Nicole! Nicole?"

Achingly turning her head, Nicole saw her crush- er, Gray, leaning over where she was. "I'll get you out of there." He pulled away some of the rubble and gripped her arm, tugging her up. Nicole smiled gratefully.

"Thanks," she gasped, wincing again as she put weight on her foot. Gray looked down and cringed at the awkward angle Nicole's foot was set at.

"Here." With a swirl of her hand, he made a rather large icicle, that Nicole gratefully gnawed on, feeling a bit more alert.

She wrapped one arm around his shoulders. "Thanks for coming to get me," she said softly. "Let's get to our check point."

They hobbled off. Gray smiled at her. "I'll always find you."


	46. GMG, Day 5: Just Like Before

**We ArE oN tO sEcReTs CaN kIlL, cHaPtEr 46!**

**Please enjoy! Your reviews really do mean a lot to me!**

_**Previously:**_

"_Damn," Nicole cursed, rubbing the back of her head, "that hurt." She tried to sit up, but one of her legs was pinned. All around her was dark, and rock. No ice._

_***If Nicole doesn't prove to be okay soon, we may have to count her knock out to Jura.***_

"_I gotta get out of here!" Nicole struggled and hissed in pain as her leg twisted. "Same darn leg as the incident at Hakobe. Fun!" Pointing her finger, Nicole moved her hand up. Ice shot upwards and burst through the rocky cover, revealing a batch of sunlight. Squinting, the Dragon Slayer shot up a firework of ice. It was extremely pretty… and it let people know she was okay._

_***Nicole Emereon is hard to knock out! She's still there!***_

"_Of course I am," Nicole grumbled, heaving the rock off her leg. She hissed through her teeth as she felt the bones in her leg. Snapped. Broken._

"_Nicole! Nicole?"_

_Achingly turning her head, Nicole saw her crush- er, Gray, leaning over where she was. "I'll get you out of there." He pulled away some of the rubble and gripped her arm, tugging her up. Nicole smiled gratefully. _

"_Thanks," she gasped, wincing again as she put weight on her foot. Gray looked down and cringed at the awkward angle Nicole's foot was set at._

"_Here." With a swirl of her hand, he made a rather large icicle, that Nicole gratefully gnawed on, feeling a bit more alert. _

_She wrapped one arm around his shoulders. "Thanks for coming to get me," she said softly. "Let's get to our check point."_

_They hobbled off. Gray smiled at her. "I'll always find you."_

**Chapter 46: Grand Magic Games, Day 5, Part 5**

**Normal POV**

As Nicole and Gray hobbled off, everything happened so fast. Erza pummelled Minerva- unlocking a secret new armour never used, in like, _forever, _that allowed her to have so much magic Minerva had no chance. Nicole cheered for her friend as the opponent fell-hard. Fairy Tail gained five points, putting them in second.

And then Gajeel finished off Rogue when Frosch came into the battle. Gajeel didn't hurt Frosch (if he did, he knew he'd had Levy, Lucy, Mira, Nicole, and Erza after him for hurting such an innocent kawaii cat) and the fight was done, tying Fairy Tail in first with Sabertooth. The only contestants left were Jura, Chelia, and Lyon from Lamia Scale, Sting from Sabertooth, and every Fairy Tail member. Nine people left. Sting was only seen once, for the take down of Bacchus, so nobody had any idea where he was and what he was doing.

Not much later, Laxus managed to defeat the all-powerful Wizard Saint Jura Neekis. Fairy Tail was ecstatic; Gray and Nicole were celebrating as they moved. Makarov was silently cursing his son Ian, bragging in his face, while Mavis was smiling softly. Chapati and Yajima were freaking out about this- since when could someone beat the Wizard Saint? and Marco had to leave to go slap himself for his stupidity- he'd underestimated Fairy Tail, badly.

This added five more points to Fairy Tail's score, putting them at 61 points. Sabertooth was at 55, and Lamia Scale at 52.

Grimacing, Gray spoke as they walked. "I guess it's our turn to take out some people."

Nicole winced. "Fun. And we're both drained of magic and exhausted." She pretended to faint while Gray yanked her to her feet.

"Oi! Don't be collapsing on me here!" He sighed. "I want to destroy Lyon." The Ice Make mage clenched his fists.

Nicole smiled, realization hitting her like a bolt of Laxus's lightning. "This shouldn't be too bad! I can just eat Lyon's magic!"

"We've got one tool up our sleeve," Gray murmured. The two walked on until they finally made it to their point.

Nicole leaned against a wall. "Let me fix up this mess." She gestured to her leg and clapped her hands around it. Slowly, the leg set itself in a cast of ice. "They should be here any minute."

Gray lifted his eyebrows. "That's not going to slow you down, is it?"

"Oh, please," Nicole snorted. "In case you haven't noticed," she pointed at the ground, "this is like my home, right here."

"Same with Lyon, though," Gray murmured, rubbing his head.

Nicole thought for a moment. "Are you okay, from after your Rufus battle?"

Gray blinked. "Uh, yeah. Thanks."

"Remember last night?"

_**FLASH BACK TIMEEEEEE**_

"_So," Gray said nervously. This was a continuation of their conversation out by the balcony about the games the next day. "Um, Erza brought something to my attention."_

_Nicole gulped. She already knew what. "Okay."_

"_And, um, she pointed out that… well…" He trailed off. "Argh!" He flailed his arms. "Why am I so bad at this?!" He dropped his head with a sigh._

_Nicole giggled. "Everybody's bad at this stuff, if I know what you're talking about."_

_Gray straightened. "Okay. So, Lyon likes both you and Juvia."_

_The Ice Dragon Slayer nodded. "So I've heard."_

"_And, as friendly old Erza has pointed out, Juvia makes her feelings for me quite noticeable," he continued. The heat was already rising to Nicole's cheeks- she knew where this was going. "And, well, she's also claimed that… uh… Well, youhavethesamefeelingsasJuvia," he said quickly. Nicole, however, knew this was coming a mile away. "Is that… true?"_

_Nicole stayed silent for a moment. "I won't take offence if it's not," Gray said quickly. "This is awkward enough as is."_

_Chuckling quietly, Nicole started to speak. "Well, she's not wrong." Feeling like she wanted to hang her head in embarrassment and shame, Nicole blushed like a tomato and looked the other way._

"_You've always been the bold one," Gray laughed, trying to break the tension. "So she said I was, in a way leading you guys on, so I'm not going to."_

_Now that caught Nicole's attention. Standing bolt upright, she tried to relax. "Um…"_

"_I need to think," Gray said quietly. "Think about it. Juvia knows too. But I'm going to tell you soon enough, I promise… I just need to think."_

"_That's fine!" Nicole blurted out, fidgeting. "Fine!"_

_Gray narrowed his eyes. "But you're okay, right? This is awkward and emotional enough as is."_

"_Fine," Nicole repeated. "I'm cold, I'm going to go inside now." She turned quickly, offered an awkward smile, and vanished in the club._

_Gray sat on the rail for a minute, dumbfounded. He had never known Nicole to become flustered at anything. And there was something wrong with that statement. The words played on his lips before he finally spoke them out loud._

"_**You're never cold."**_

_**EMOTIONAL TRAUMATIZING FLASHBACK OVER**_

"Oh." Gray looked the other way. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"You've got nothing to apologize for," Nicole insisted. "_I'm_ sorry I walked out on you like that."

"I-"

"Darling Nicole!"

Not a moment too soon, Lyon spun around the corner, gliding on the ice. Chelia followed, tumbling around on the ice. "My love!" He announced. "You made this floor for me, to prove our love, to show you love me and I will always return the feeling!"

Gray and Nicole sweat-dropped. "Nope, not for you, Lyon," Nicole grumbled.

Lyon got down on one knee. "But my dear-"

"ICE MAKE CANNON!"

An icy ball shot away from Gray's cannon and smacked Lyon in the chest, sending him tumbling head over heels into the back building wall. Nicole smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Gray said with a smirk.

Chelia frowned. "Don't hit Lyon like that! We are powerful- because of love!" Nicole gagged inwardly. "God Slayer Roar!"

"Ice Make Shield!"

"Shield!"

The two Fairy Tail mages created shields at the same time. Nicole would have preferred jumping away, but with her leg, jumping wasn't much of an option. The shield shattered on impact but the magic whirlwind had faded.

Lyon jumped up again. "If I beat Gray, Nicole will join my guild, and be my love!"

"WHAT?" Nicole shrieked. "You're insane!"

"All for love!" Lyon cheered.

Chelia pouted. "Lyon should be paying attention to me, not her, but beating you will definitely be a win!" She turned to Lyon. "We have to work together!"

But Lyon wasn't paying attention. The little hearts in his eyes danced as he called out, "Ice Make Eagle!"

Dozens of ice birds flew from the open air at Gray and Nicole. Lyon gasped, horrified. "I didn't mean to hit Nicole!" Chelia, frustrated, cast a bit of wind to make the birds fly as fast as bullets.

Gray cast Ice Make Lance, and several birds shattered. The lone bird that remained buzzed at Nicole's face (which Lyon cried out, "NO!" to,) but she twisted her head and snatched the bird in her right hand.

"But… But how?" Chelia whined. "That was as fast as a bullet!"

Nicole rolled her eyes. Gray grimaced, remembering something he would prefer not to remember. "Tenrou Island?" He asked sheepishly. Nicole nodded slowly. "I remember."

And the worst memories tend to stick and appear at the worst times.


	47. HOLIDAY SPECIAL :)

**Secrets Can Kill, Holiday Special!**

**I really hope you guys enjoy this! I love it a lot. There's a lot of Niray fluff and shipping here, so please enjoy :) Feedback appreciated! This is taking place at really just Christmas and New Year's time- don't worry about the current arc! :D And its a loooong chapter!**

**(I I won't update in the next two weeks cuz I'm on vacation to Mexico)**

**ARGH I'm so excited XD this is going to be fluffy and amazing!**

**Chapter 47: Holiday Special :)**

**Normal POV**

The guild was alive with chaos and buzzing with excitement. It was Christmas Eve. A typical Fairy Tail tradition is that everyone remains in the guild for the night and celebrates Christmas in the morning. The guild was extremely excited- all of the members were well known by everyone- not a single person was nameless and unknown in the guild. Nicole was extremely thrilled, every other Christmas she'd had was celebrated alone.

At 7 pm that night the guild quickly assembled a line of beds along the side of the huge area. There was an extremely large Christmas tree at the other side of the guild and tables surrounding it, preparing for food for the following day.

"Deck the halls…" Wendy sang softly as she hooked an ornament onto a tree branch. Tree decorating- the best part!

Nicole, decked out in a red and green sweater and black leggings, pulled out a box of ornaments and excitedly tore off the lid. "God, there's so much!"

Gray chuckled. "You've never had a Christmas, have you?" But Nicole was too giddy to listen. She was stringing lights, humming Christmas carols, and helping Lucy pull out paper snowflakes. Gray grinned, shifting the collar of his dark blue button up t-shirt.

The whole guild was in on the Christmas madness. Natsu was making Happy fly him to the top of the tree to decorate the highest parts of the tree. Mirajane was throwing wreaths on the pillars and on Laxus. Erza was stringing lights along the rafters in the roof. Romeo was trying to prevent his dad from posting up bikini shots of the girls in Fairy Tail on the walls.

Wait, what?

"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!" Nicole roared, twisting and snatching a picture of her off the wall.

Pervy Macao grinned as blood ran from his nose. "Ryetsu-"

"PERVERT!" Nicole kicked him in the gut and the man sailed backwards. Wakaba cackled at his friend- until Nicole kicked him too. Lucy squealed upon seeing her own picture.

"Wow," Lucy said, "I look pretty good!"

Erza nodded. "I do look extremely fabulous in that exclusive bathing suit, don't I?"

Gray crept up behind Nicole and peered over the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. The picture was indeed of her at Ryetsu Land. In the picture, Nicole was facing away from the camera, but her front side was completely visible. She was in her lime green bikini, of course. "Why don't you like the picture?" Gray asked.

Nicole jumped and nearly nailed her fist in the side of his head. However, Gray knew it was coming and took a step back. "Don't do that!" She squeaked. Her cheeks quickly heated up.

Gray smirked at her. "You're cute when you're flustered. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"AAAH! What's wrong with you?" Nicole spluttered, unconvincingly trying to back herself up. "I am so not!"

"You're still blushing~" he taunted.

"Hush up!" Nicole squealed, cheeks as red as Erza's hair. She pulled her hand back and whipped out a punch, to which Gray blocked.

Gray sighed. "I don't want to start a brawl right now, honestly. We finally have a tree… and believe it or not, this is record time for keeping it up and alive."

Nicole fanned herself and giggled. "Okay. Okay, I'm calm." As much as she didn't want to admit it, her heart was still beating loudly over Gray's 'cute' comment.

Gray shook his head, smiling. "I don't take back what I said." Before she could say anything, he turned around and stalked away, a small blush forming on his cheeks too. Nicole stammered words that were incomprehensible, but turned around and looked for Natsu, pushing the conversation behind her.

"Natsu!" She called. The Fire Dragon Slayer trotted over as Happy took a break from his flying.

Natsu cracked his knuckles. "What's up, Nikki? Wanna fight?"

Sweat-dropping, Nicole sighed. "No, Natsu. Can you burn this for me?" She held out the picture, face down, of course.

The Fire Dragon Slayer cocked his head. "What's that?" He flipped it over before Nicole could stop him. Then he laughed. "I'm giving it to Gray!" And then, to Nicole's horror, he ran off in search of a stripping ice mage.

"DRAGNEEL!" Nicole hollered loudly. But he cackled and kept running.

Nicole saw him talking to Gray and ducked behind the far side of the Christmas tree so they wouldn't see her and her intense blush. She peeked through the needles and saw the two talking. Gray was studying the picture, and Natsu was laughing. Gray's cheeks faintly turned red and he tore the picture in two. Natsu looked disappointed. Sighing in relief, Nicole turned back to the tree.

Happy fluttered up next to her. "Hi, Nikki!"

"Hey, Happy," Nicole said distractedly, trying to clip a small silver bulb onto the tree.

"Guess what?" Happy flipped in a circle. "He liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes you!"

Trying the ignoring tactic, the girl continued setting up ornaments. Happy didn't take kindly to being ignored, however. He shoved his face in front of her hand and squealed again. "And you liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike him!" He cheered.

"What was that, cat?" Nicole asked hauntingly. Happy giggled cheekily.

"You liiiiiiiiiiiike him, and he liiiiiiiiiiiikes you!"

"HAPPY!" Nicole roared, accidentally smashing a large gold ball, making Lucy jump. She lunged at the cat but he flew away. Happy landed on Natsu's shoulder and snickered along with the pink-haired mage. Nicole hissed in frustration. That was the final straw.

Lucy yelped beside her. Nicole was leaking an evil blue aura. "She's mad! Dive for cover!"

"NATSU FUCKING DRAGNEEL, I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Gajeel popped up from his spot by the tree, gnawing on a metal star. "Since when does Princess swear?"

"Since when do you call me Princess?" Nicole hissed.

Mirajane popped up behind Nicole. "Well, it's true, you never do swear."

"Sorry, Natsu," she called hesitantly. "Didn't mean-"

"It's on!" Happy dropped Natsu, who seemed completely unfazed with the swearing, on top of Nicole, and screaming, the two ensued in a wrestling hand-to-hand combat match.

Gray shook his head. "Never mind, this is so going to be as bad as other years."

After they had broken Nicole and Natsu up (Laxus was calling them Double N) and replaced seven broken bulbs and a part of the wall, the group settled down. Everyone found their bed (with, obviously Mira's doing, Natsu next to Lucy, Levy next to Gajeel, and Nicole next to Gray) and settled in. Typically they should be going to sleep, but typically, Fairy Tail doesn't do that.

"We," Erza announced, "are going to play Guild Master!" **(anyone read the manga christmas special?)**

"NOOOO!" Natsu moaned. Gray sighed in disturbance. Lucy looked around cluelessly, as did Juvia, Nicole, Carla, and Wendy. Levy gulped and Gajeel cocked his head.

"…How do you play?" Wendy asked nervously.

Erza smirked. "First, we drink!"

Cana leaped at this and soon everyone had a bit to drink. It was Christmas Eve, after all, and they were all in the guild hall. It looked like Mirajane, Laxus, Lisanna, Elfman, the Thunder God Tribe, Macao, Romeo, and Wakaba were playing a truth or dare game. Everyone was drinking- even Romeo.

Nicole swallowed nervously. "I've never gotten drunk before…"

"It'll be fine," Gray assured, resting a hand on her shoulder. "The girls go slightly insane, boys stay fine."

"More insane than usual?" Nicole guessed.

Gray scowled. "Of course. We boys have to keep them in check." He looked at Erza and shuddered. "Not a fun task." Nicole giggled. "I'll make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"Fine," Nicole sighed. Cana handed her a bottle. With one long motion, Nicole swung the bottle high and drained it all, coughing.

"Yeah girl!" Cana cheered. "Drink it all up!"

"…Remind me why we did this?" Gajeel asked slowly. Levy was in an uncontrollable laughing fit, Lucy was humming to herself, Juvia was wailing out loud, Wendy was dizzy, Carla was rude, and Erza was a bossy queen, demanding more booze that poor Warren had to fetch.

Oh, poor Nicole. She downed the whole bottle and Gray poked her. "You feel all right?"

"Yup," she said cheerfully, "Never felt better!" She twirled on the spot, flipped her hair, and lay back on her bed… inspecting her nails. She sighed blissfully and kicked her legs out.

Natsu sweat-dropped. "So Nicole's a girly-girl?"

"That's something you don't see every day," Gajeel snickered.

Nicole's gaze instantly hardened, and she slapped Gajeel across the face- hard. "I don't want to do that again," she whined. "I might break a nail!" She flexed her hand, inspecting.

Natsu cackled and rubbed his hands together. "I am SO going to sue this for black mail some time!" So when he got slapped in the face by Nicole, Gray knew he deserved it.

"Gray-sama~~~~" Juvia whined, "It's snowing outsideeeee…. WAAAAA…"

"Natsu~" Lucy cooed. "Make me purr!"

"…What?"

"BOOZE!" Erza hollered, slamming her empty mug on the table. "Let's play!" She thrust out a cup of popsicle sticks. "13 in total, numbers 1-12 and a crown! Person who picks the crown is the master, and makes a number do something. The master's word," she said hauntingly, "is absolute."

Nicole shuddered. "I don't want to ruin my make-up!" she squealed.

Gray fixed her a weird look. "Weirdo," he said finally, "You don't wear make up."

"I AM GUILD MASTER!" Erza cheered. Everyone groaned. "Number… 5 has the strip down until they are nude!"

That sobered the girl's up real quickly as Gajeel suddenly had no clothes on. Nicole's eyes widened, then shut and she glanced away, mortified. Carla shrieked something about Wendy's innocence. Lucy screamed something and hid her head.

"Who's next?" Erza asked eagerly. "Gajeel you better hope you are…"

"This is dangerous!" Juvia wailed. Wendy and Nicole nodded in agreement.

"I'm Master!" Lucy squealed as they drew new numbers. "I order number 3 and number 7 to shake hands!"

"La~me!" Erza shrieked, but Levy and Juvia looked at each other gratefully. Erza shook her head. "No way. Too boring! Numbers 3 and 7 have to grope the breasts of the current master!" She came up behind Lucy and pressed her chest together. Lucy squealed and sighed as Levy and Juvia each did as they were told, with much embarrassment.

**(Seriously, if you haven't, read the Christmas special.)**

"I'm Master!" Happy cheered. "Number 2 must slap number 10 on the butt!"

"Atta boy, Happy," Erza nodded proudly.

"What I have seen," Nicole said shakily as Natsu spanked a nude Gajeel, "can never be unseen." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Numbers 11 and 10 must stare at each other for a minute," Wendy said nervously. While Gray and Levy said that it wasn't too bad, Juvia bawled something about how Levy was her love rival too. Then Levy made 8 and 4 hug for a minute, and Juvia almost flooded the place with tears as Lucy and Gray hugged awkwardly. When the ice mage saw Nicole she was awkwardly staring anywhere other than the pair. She was blushing. But so was he.

"I am Master again!" Erza called.

"The Devil has been revived!" Gray, Natsu, Gajeel, and Nicole shrieked.

"You cowards aren't getting off easy this time," Erza snickered. "Number 9 must bust a move in the nude!"

The girls squealed as Natsu stood up, stripped, and danced. Gajeel blinked and looked away. Gray snickered and absentmindedly removed his shirt. Nicole was too mortified that she didn't say anything about it.

"Darn luck," Erza shrugged. "If only I could get a girl to strip…" Levy and Nicole sweat-dropped nervously.

They drew again. "LUCK IS ON MY SIDE!" Erza screeched, waving her popsicle with a crown on it in the air.

"This is rigged," Gray grumbled. Wendy ducked her head.

"Damn tyrant!" Gajeel hissed.

"Erza," Wendy pleaded, "Please stop with the stripping!"

But Erza ignored her. "Number 1, strip down and shout out the name of the one they love!"

Nicole blinked. "No fucking way."

"C'mon," Gajeel grumbled, crossing his legs, "We all had to do it." Natsu nodded in agreement.

Erza glared at Nicole. "Are you defying the word of the master?"

"Yep," Nicole hissed. "If it mean protecting my sanity!"

Gray grimaced. Erza narrowed her eyes, angry. "Then you have to change into this outfit instead!" She threw something at Nicole, and in a blink of an eye, she was changed. Squealing, Nicole threw a blanket over herself, but not after everyone caught a look. It was a sexy decl costume- horns on a headband, a red cape, and a one piece bathing suit- strapless. The top half was lusty red and the bottom half was black, and there was a tail.

Macao and Wakaba caught a look and nosebleeds occurred.

Nicole huddled down and wrapped the blanket tightly around herself. Natsu laughed. "The theme is right at least!"

Flames appeared in Nicole's eyes. "Wait till I'm Master." Everyone gulped nervously. She might be as bad as Erza.

Erza was Master again. "10 and 12 bark like puppies in maid costumes!" Desperately, the two began barking.

"Number 6 go shopping in nothing but a bathing suit!" Juvia, shivering, left in his polka-dot bikini.

"Numbers 2 and 7 must kiss each other at once!" Sobbing, Happy and Panther Lily got it over with.

"Number 4 must toss their underwear out the guild window!" Levy squealed in embarrassment and blood started running down Gajeel's nose.

"Number 3 must moan, 'Oh, that feels so good,' while having hot wax dripped down their back!" Lucy sobbed as the wax hit her back.

"You're taking things to far, damn it!" Natsu hollered as Lucy sniffled.

"Who's Master now?"

"YES!" Nicole pumped a fist in the air. "The saviour has arrived!" chorused Lucy and Levy.

"Number 8," Nicole said evilly, a spark glinting in her eye, "must strip completely naked and walk to the far end of town and back."

Everyone sweat-dropped. "You can dish it out, but not take it in," Gajeel grumbled. "As bad as Erza."

To everyone's horror, Erza stripped and walked out of the guild building in nothing but a Santa hat.

"Well," Gray said awkwardly as Nicole smiled proudly, "it's late. Why don't we go to sleep?"

Everyone yawned and agreed (Erza would be back eventually) and Nicole vanished to the bathroom to get rid of her costume. Gray snickered as she appeared, red faced, and slid under the blankets of her small bed.

"That was fun," he commented dryly. Nicole smirked.

"You have a weird definition of fun, pervert." Gray grinned back at her. Nicole pouted. "That was so… weird."

"You were about to strip," he cackled, and Nicole punched him.

"Not funny!" She insisted. "Erza was a devil!"

"You're a devil too," Gray reminded her. "In more ways than one."

Nicole blushed. "Stop it!" Punching him again, she rolled over.

"You're so much fun to tease." Gray chuckled and tucked his hands behind his head.

"Jerk."

"Hey, I'm a nice guy!"

"Still a jerk."

"Whatever," Gray snorted, leaning back. Nicole lay back as well so they were both facing up. "Were you embarrassed about the stripping, or the person you love part?"

"Both," she shrugged. "I'm not someone who flaunts what they've got- I'm not as busty as Lucy or as pretty as Erza."

"You're pretty," Gray said quickly before he could stop himself. Nicole stared at him incredulously.

"Yeah right. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm serious," Gray insisted. They both blushed. "You don't have to be blonde or busty to be beautiful."

Nicole sighed. "Stereotypes argue otherwise."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Stubborn. Just accept the compliment already."

The Ice Dragon Slayer exhaled sharply. "Okay. Thank you. Good night, Gray."

"Good night." The two drifted softly into sleep.

Nicole woke up from a nightmare with Gray's arms wrapped around her chest.

Terrified for a split second, she took a moment to unravel the situation. Gray had migrated to her bed and was asleep, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. Nicole inhaled for a minute and relaxed. This was nice, wasn't it? What she… wanted?

She enjoyed it for a minute. It was comfortable and nice. Then she heard a light flicker on and saw Mirajane disappear into the back store room.

"Gray," she whispered quietly. "Get off me." He didn't budge. "Gray!" She cursed. If Mira saw them, the whole guild would be on about something that wasn't even true. "Oh, come on." She pushed against him in an attempt to wiggle out, but he just tightened the grip.

Blushing furiously, and realizing it was still 3 in the morning and she was exhausted, she drifted off to sleep again.

When she woke again it was 5 am. Natsu was gleefully prancing around the tree, wondering what presents could be his, but he was the only one awake. Nicole shook Gray off of her and sat up, rubbing her eyes. After a minute, Gray sat up too.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Okay?" Nicole spluttered. "Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm perfectly fine." She shifted up and down on the bed.

Gray raised his eyebrows. "You were shaking and looked like you would stab something in your sleep."

Nicole cursed. "…it's nothing."

"Nicole."

"Fine, I'm still having nightmares," she said quickly, "anymore questions?" Nicole crossed her arms over her chest.

Gray sighed. "Nicole, I thought those were gone."

She shrugged. "I'm fine."

"What are they about?"

Nicole highly considered not saying anything but the pleading, concerned look in Gray's dark eyes made her decided differently. "Just the fears they showed me at Lightning Palace. Abandonment and stuff." She focused on the floor.

Gray rubbed the back of his head. "Why didn't you say anything?"

She shrugged again. "Because it doesn't matter." She sighed shakily. "I wake up everyday knowing the nightmare is over and I have to convince myself it's not true."

"What exactly is it?" Gray asked quietly.

Nicole sighed and looked behind her to see if she could see anyone up. "…I'm sitting in the guild, then Lucy comes and says I'm a horrible friend. Natsu walks away with her, Erza says I'm not strong enough and walks away..."

She sniffled. "She walks away with everyone else," she choked out. "But the worst is you. You hug Juvia, say she's all you've ever wanted and that you'd never go with a weak, pathetic, loser, failure of a Dragon Slayer." She wiped a lone tear and sniffled. "Wow, I'm pretty pathetic."

"No you're not," Gray said quickly. "I can't believe it. That's why you're so hesitant?"

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Why have you never said anything?"

"I was coping," she insisted. "Wow, I'm actually crying. So pathetic."

"Oh my god," Gray whispered. "Nicole…"

So he leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead.

Nicole visibly relaxed and the two remained that way for a long period of time. When he finally moved back, Nicole looked up in concern. "…Sorry."

"Don't apologize," he assured her. Then his expression changed. "I didn't take you for a cuddler."

Her jaw dropped. "Wait, were you AWAKE?" nearly waking Lucy up in the process.

Gray smirked. "Maybe…"

"Gray!" She whisper-shouted. Instead of following the temptation to slap him, she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. Gray grinned at her.

"Cuddler," he taunted quietly. She glared at him but the two flopped back on their beds. She stared at him softly.

"I'm going to enjoy the last bit of peace we have," she whispered. "Good night… again."

He nodded softly and the two drifted off again.

LUCKY FOR YOU GUYS I have put in more :) I am so nice :D OH GOD who am I kidding XD

But there's still more :)

"GIRLS!" Everyone snapped awake to Mirajane's scream. Juvia, Levy, Wendy, and Lucy all rubbed their eyes tiredly, Natsu gleefully shook presents under the tree, Erza looked very upset that someone had disturbed her beauty sleep, but was too excited for presents to care. "COME HERE!" Nicole, who hadn't slept long, shrugged, waved at Gray, and trotted over to Mira.

"Voila!" Mirajane Strauss handed every girl a new dress. Lucy loved her spaghetti strap pink dress that faded to darker pink near the bottom, Wendy adored her sky blue dress, Levy looked amazing in a neon orange dress, Juvia held up a deep blue and white dress.

Lisanna pulled on a pink and white dress, Laki and Kinana had making leafy green dresses, Bisca twirled in a simple black and green dress, Erza smirked in her violet and white strapless dress.

Nicole held up an amazing ice blue dress, the same colour of her Dragon Force dress, that had two straps and a belt with several silver gems. It hung lower in the back than the front, and as she surveyed it more, she saw it sparkled.

"Mira," she whispered in a hushed voice, "it's beautiful."

"I know," she said giddily. The white-haired Take-over mage giggled and everyone hugged her. Then the girls went off to deliver this own presents.

As the girls exited the area, it turns out all the boys were wearing suits with different coloured ties. Natsu looked snazzy and Lucy's jaw dropped looking at him.

First, Nicole gave Mirajane a device that changed people's hair colour. Mira squealed and said it would be 'put to good use'. As Laxus ran past Nicole with hot pink hair, Nicole tossed him a new set of head phones.

Lucy gave Wendy, Natsu, and Nicole stuffed models of their own dragons- from descriptions, no less. Wendy was ecstatic, but not as much as Natsu, who picked her up, swung her around, and said it was the best gift ever.

Nicole's gift for Lucy was a drawing- it turns out Nicole wasn't incredibly horrible with a pencil, and Reedus even gave it his approval. The drawing was of Lucy, smiling, with all her spirits surrounding her. Lucy hugged her best friend tightly and murmured something before trotting off.

After giving Natsu's exceed a barrel of fish, Nicole found Panther Lily and gave him a sword sharpener, which he immediately ran off to show Gajeel. Carla greatly approved of the chocolates and brownies Nicole cooked for her and Wendy, and Levy loved her new book series.

Gajeel gobbled down the scraps of iron Nicole had fashioned into a model of a dragon, and Juvia reluctantly accepted a rain drop necklace from her.

"Erza!" Nicole called. As the red head turned, she thrust out a long package. "Merry Christmas!"

Erza tore open the wrapping paper and pulled out something that made everyone else shudder. It was a long, double sided sword. The handle was gold with a black gem in the middle. Erza held it up and twirled it in awe.

"It's amazing," she gasped, and she gave Nicole a huge hug.

NIcole next found Natsu. "NATSU!" she hollered. The pink-haired boy stopped his wolfing down of a candy cane to stare at her. "Merry Christmas." Natsu tore open a rectangular package to reveal a picture frame. On it was a picture of him holding up Lucy by her waist as she was screaming in discomfort. Then the thing changed and he was punding Gray on the head. Then a picture of him fighting Erza appeared, then him bickering with Nicole.

"It's AWESOME!" Natsu yelled, hugging Nicole. "Almost as good as my stuffed Igneel!" He held it up and Nicole giggled. "It even shoots flames!" He hit a button in between the dragon's wings and tiny harmless flames spouted out the dragon's mouth. Nicole laughed harder as he trotted away.

Last present. Gray Fullbuster. Nervously Nicole glanced around for the ice mage and saw him in his handsome black suit and ice blue tie- it matched her dress. "You look amazing," was the first thing the Ice mage said upon seeing her. Nicole blushed as red as Erza's hair.

Swallowing, Nicole thrust out the package. "Merry Christmas."

Gray slowly took off the wrapping paper and Nicole sighed. "I'm sorry, I thought so hard of what to get you and nothing seemed good enough, so here it is."

It was a picture, like Natsu's, but the frame was must larger and it had multiple photos. That, and the frame was made of solid ice with tiny intricate details Nicole had obviously carved herself. There was a picture of Gray training with Lyon, one of smiling Ur, one of him and Natsu bickering, another of him shrinking down to scary Erza. Another photo of him and Lucy grinning, one of him fighting, and the biggest one was in the bottom right part, where Nicole had her arm looped around Gray's shoulders and was laughing while Gray was rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish look on his face.

"I love it," Gray said sincerely, and Nicole visibly relaxed. "This is for you."

He handed her a small box. "Before you open it," he said quickly, "I just wanted to say I know you hate jewellery but I think you'll wear this." Curiousity took over and Nicole opened the box.

It was a charm bracelet, Nicole recognized, a simple black cord with a pure white snowflake on it. The snowflake had a small ice blue gem in the middle.

Nicole's expression gave away nothing and Gray started to sweat. Then she suddenly embraced him tightly and whispered, "it's beautiful." Gray hugged her back, then pulled away.

"I know you wouldn't wear it unless it does something useful," he remarked. "Watch this." He held his finger down on the blue gem. Suddenly an icy pole started growing. The pole grew to six feet long and was made of solid ice, and Nicole gripped it in her palm.

"Awesome!" she cheered. "I am SO wearing this twenty four seven."

Gray chuckled and Erza bounded over. "Merry Christmas," she said softly. Nicole and Gray, as the package was adressed to them, opened it carefully. It was another pciture (sensing a theme here!) of Nicole and Gray, tightly hugging. Snowflakes were falling down the photo. At the top, it read, 'Bicker like Siblings,' and on the side was 'Fight like Lovers.' The other side was 'Scream like Fighters.' And the bottom read, 'Work like Partners."

"I love it," the two said at the same time.

Erza beamed. "Excellent. Mira and I made some for each of the to-be couples in the guild."

Nicole blinked. Gray flushed. "W... What?"

"Oh yes," Erza said with a smile. "Lucy and Natsu, Levy and Gajeel, and Elfman and Evergreen get some." She waved cheerily. "Merry Christmas!"

The Ice mages rolled their eyes as the scarlet lady bounded away. "Merry Christmas, Gray," Nicole said.

"Merry Christmas," he echoed. The pair grinned at each other and went off to join the party.

_*** "Christmas isn't something bought at a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, is a little bit more." ***_


	48. GMG, Day 5: Finale

**Secrets Can Kill, chapter 48!**

**I loved the feedback last chapter! Thanks so so much for all that. I am going to start responding to reviews again! :)**

**REVIEWS~**

**tjhorton030800: I'm so happy you liked it! I plan on continuing both series for a while. Thanks so much! :)**

**DragonIceFeather: WELL? Did you like it? I loved it XD XD XD XD**

**SashaMonroe: Thanks so so much! I'm so grateful that you review every chapter!**

**Skyline180: FLUFFINESS FTW XD Thanks so much for the review, I love the ship name, I love fluff *throws fluff everywhere* Eh. For Juvia, I'll probably ship her with Lyon XD they're kinda cute!**

**Wolfywolfwolf (guest): Thank you so much! And I tend to torture my characters so it may be forever XD *remembers knife in gut and torturing and fighting* Oops.**

**Chapter 48: Grand Magic Games, Day 5, Part 6**

**Normal POV**

"Can we please try to get this over with, and quick?" Nicole winced and favored her good leg. Holding up the bird she had caught, lifeless and unmoving in her hand, she snapped off the wing and sank her teeth into it. Gray smirked at her but nodded sympathetically.

His pressed his fist onto his palm and blue light started to glow. "Yeah. I'm looking forward to beating Lyon's ass."

Lyon gawked. "She's eating my masterpiece!" He raked his hands through his hair. "My love is eating what I made! IT'S DESTINY-"

"Blegh," Nicole interrupted, making a face before chewing on the rest of the ice. "This ice tastes horrible."

Lyon's soul flew out of his body and Chelia squeaked. "Lyon! We need the power of love to beat them!" She frantically shook Lyon's shoulders, but the ice mage didn't move. "Lyon! Let's work together! With love on our side, we can't lose!"

Nicole blinked. "Did I really just knock him out that quickly?"

***Erm... one point to Fairy Tail...***

"Let's finish this," Gray said, taking Nicole's hand in his own. Nicole tightened her grip and the two of them started to glow. Chelia looked up from where she was trying to wake Lyon and stared.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" With a burst of blue and white, Chelia and Lyon's body went flying through the air and out of sight.

***Fairy Tail gains another point!***

Nicole smiled softly and relaxed, her hand still clasped in Gray's. Noticing this, blush formed on the Ice Dragon Slayer's cheeks. "W-Well, we got it done fast!"

"Yep," he said calmly, staggering slightly. Nicole yanked him upright and teetered over herself. Still holding hands. Gray blushed slightly and pulled Nicole up, then let go. The two blushed at each other before Nicole collapsed again.

"Ow," she gasped quietly. Gray kneeled down and pulled her up again.

***UNBELIEVABLE! Fairy Tail's Laxus Dreyar, son of Makarov Dreyar, the master of Fairy Tail, has beaten the wizard saint Jura Neekis! 5 points to Fairy Tail!***

"He did it," Nicole acknowledged weakly.

Gray smiled. "Of course. Fairy Tail always wins, eh?"

"Yep." Nicole, with the little strength she had left, pushed herself up and nearly fell on top of Gray. The two leaned into each other for support. "Let's go meet at the next point," Nicole said tiredly. "Please."

Gray's grin grew. "Oi, what's up with you? You're never polite."

Nicole glared him down. "I am so polite, mister stripper. It's a miracle that you lasted this long without losing your pants."

"Oi! I don't have a stripping problem!"

"...yes you do."

With her dragon hearing Nicole could hear the sweat-drops of her guild mates.

"Maybe a bit," Gray admitted sheepishly.

Nicole smiled. "Let's go before I faint and you have to drag me everywhere.:

*****:::~~~...**

"Erza!" Laxus and Gajeel found the red head limping over, using a stick of sorts to keep her weight off her leg. Laxus blinked his eyes to keep himself awake and Gajeel helped Titania stand. The icy floor was, believe it or not, helping Erza move along.

"I'm okay," she said weakly. "Where are the others?"

"Right here!" Nicole and Gray limped forward, sliding on the ice. Gajeel smirked at the sight of the two and Laxus blinked at them.

Erza smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Nicole grinned wildly.

Gajeel glared at her. "I've got a bone to pick with you, Princess-"

"I told you not to call me that!"

"-you and your ice! If you're gonna do that, at least give us some notice." Gajeel flicked the brunette in the forehead.

Nicole grinned. "I like to be spontaneous."

The group lightly chuckled. "Hate to ruin the mood," Gray intervened. "But it's not over."

"Sting," Erza confirmed. "And he's waiting for us."

From up on his perch, Sting gazed at the pitiful sight of the Fairy Tail team. They looked half dead! He snorted to himself. Titania, the Queen of the Fairies who had beaten his lady, was barely able to stand without the help of Laxus, who looked like he had been dragged through the ground. Gajeel's clothes were torn and shredded- he was the one who beat Rogue? Please, as if. And the two Ice Mages- leaning on each other, how cute. Nicole was asleep at her feet- how could she have beaten him yesterday?

The white light began to dance around the Dragon Slayer as he smirked. The realization set into the crowd- if he beat every Fairy Tail mage there he would win. 9 points was enough to surpass the fairies.

Nicole watched intensely as Sting seemed to gather power. She was so weak she could barely move, let alone stop the Dragon Slayer from Sabertooth. "Ice?" Gray whispered in her ear. But Nicole shook her head. No ice would help now- she couldn't eat forever.

"Why don't you just give up?" Sting sneered.

"Because we're Fairy Tail," Erza said simply. "We don't."

Sting's light seemed to falter. There was no chance of them beating him, so why did he stop? Why were they still standing, defiantly, like they could defeat him?

Then the horrible truth dawned on Sting.

All this was for Lector.

Minerva wasn't going to give him back.

Even if he won.

What was the point?

"I admit defeat."

His words shocked him... and everyone else. Nicole thought it was too good to be true. But Sting knelt down. "You win."

"YESSSSSSSSSS!" Fairy Tail's cheers could be heard a mile away. Erza smiled softly and Gajeel smirked. Laxus crossed his arms and grinned while Gray was grinning wildly.

Nicole? She said, "we won!" and then passed out in Gray's arms.

It was finally over- the games. Fairy Tail, after seven years, had reclaimed their title. The strongest guild in Fiore, once more.


	49. Arrival of the Beasts

**AND WE ARE ON to Secrets Can Kill, chapter 49!**

**So... guys I need some feedback. I'm thinking of ending the story at 50 chapters, but BEFORE YOU PANIC! continue it as a sequel. How does that sound? It will make these last two chapter extra long as I wrap up the Grand Magic Games arc and move onto a cute mini arc I made up called _Vacationing _:3**

**So what do you think? Tell me in the reviews whether I continue on here, or on another story. But I definitely am continuing one way or another.**

**And I rewrote chapter 3 and 4, if you want to read them.**

**REVIEW(S)~**

**DragonIceFeather: WHAT?! I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter. Search up 'Fairy tail manga Christmas special' and you should be able to find it.**

**Wolfywolfwolf: Thank you! I tend to torture a lot, but they will. I believe in development- I don't want an unbelievably fast relationship.**

_**Previously:**_

_From up on his perch, Sting gazed at the pitiful sight of the Fairy Tail team. They looked half dead! He snorted to himself. Titania, the Queen of the Fairies who had beaten his lady, was barely able to stand without the help of Laxus, who looked like he had been dragged through the ground. Gajeel's clothes were torn and shredded- he was the one who beat Rogue? Please, as if. And the two Ice Mages- leaning on each other, how cute. Nicole was asleep at her feet- how could she have beaten him yesterday?_

_The white light began to dance around the Dragon Slayer as he smirked. The realization set into the crowd- if he beat every Fairy Tail mage there he would win. 9 points was enough to surpass the fairies._

_Nicole watched intensely as Sting seemed to gather power. She was so weak she could barely move, let alone stop the Dragon Slayer from Sabertooth. "Ice?" Gray whispered in her ear. But Nicole shook her head. No ice would help now- she couldn't eat forever._

_"Why don't you just give up?" Sting sneered._

_"Because we're Fairy Tail," Erza said simply. "We don't."_

_Sting's light seemed to falter. There was no chance of them beating him, so why did he stop? Why were they still standing, defiantly, like they could defeat him?_

_Then the horrible truth dawned on Sting._

_All this was for Lector._

_Minerva wasn't going to give him back._

_Even if he won._

_What was the point?_

_"I admit defeat."_

_His words shocked him... and everyone else. Nicole thought it was too good to be true. But Sting knelt down. "You win."_

_"YESSSSSSSSSS!" Fairy Tail's cheers could be heard a mile away. Erza smiled softly and Gajeel smirked. Laxus crossed his arms and grinned while Gray was grinning wildly._

_Nicole? She said, "we won!" and then passed out in Gray's arms._

_It was finally over- the games. Fairy Tail, after seven years, had reclaimed their title. The strongest guild in Fiore, once more._

**Chapter 49: Arrival of the Beasts**

**Nicole's POV**

"Mmm..." I mumbled to myself. My eyes were shut and the world was loud and dark. Until I opened my eyes. Then it was loud and bright. "Ugh," I groaned, rubbing my side. "What happened?"

"She's awake!"

I blinked furiously up and the man hovering over me. It was a palace guard, from the looks of it. He was gesturing frantically over at a large group of people, who were making their way over to me. _What happened? _

Under normal circumstances typical me would have slapped the guard. But untypical me was disoriented and confused.

"Thank god."

Strong hands gripped my shoulders. I blinked multiple times again, trying to get the world to refocus. "...Gray?"

"Yep, it's me." He stuck out an arm, and somewhat desperately I clung onto it in an effort to stand. He was grinning madly but the sight scared me. Bandages were wrapped several times around his head and his chest, where he had loosely pulled an orange button up (unbottoned, of course) over top. His pants were greyish green and he had sneakers on. Black, spiky hair sprawled out in several directions.

"Oh my god," I whispered, glancing around, remembering the time, the day, the place, the situation. "We won!" I cheered.

He rolled his eyes but was grinning all the same. "Yes, we did!"

"YES!" I cheered triumphantly. "Take that, Twilight Ogre!"

I felt awfully childish but Gray only chuckled and guided me over to the guild. "Let's bring you back before you either pass out again or your happy mood vanishes."

I rolled my eyes this time- was I not allowed to be excited?! I was greeted in cheers, pats on the back, hollers, a hugging Romeo, and some tearful members. "We WON!" I hollered, pumping my fist in the air. "Oh, yeah!"

Everyone laughed and I noticed Gajeel, looking as bad as Gray, Laxus, equally horrifying, and Erza, which was worse of all. Bandages criss-crossed her chest and torso and she was leaning on a crutch for support. "You should rest," Cana was saying, but Erza was shaking her head.

"My god," I said out loud. "You all look horrible."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Have you even seen yourself?"

So I looked down. The leg I had messed up was wrapped tightly over black leggings, and the other leg and bandages around the shin. The bandages on the bad leg went all the way up to mid-thigh, but my toes were still exposed to open air. Around my stomach, were many many bandages, a whole couple layers. I guess the blood crusted through. Several around my bicep, a few around my head. But I still had my green jacket on and a black tank top- but the tank top was ripped up so the stomach bandages were revealed.

"We'd be better if Wendy were here," Gray explained.

My face paled. "You mean... she and Natsu and Lucy and Mira aren't back yet?"

He shook his head. I gulped nervously. "I'm sure they're fine, right?"

"Of course," he replied earnestly. "Come on. King's about to make a speech."

"This is don't want to miss," I mumbled, and together we moved off to the court yard. Surprisingly, I was much more agile now than I was an hour ago.

Together, our whole guild (almost, excluding Lucy, Mira, Wendy, and Natsu) watched patiently as the extremely short king of Fiore stepped out. Part of me wanted to scream at him to hurry up, me being the impatient person I was, and the other part was too exhausted to move.

"It's the seventh day," Gajeel noted, "Of the seventh month. The dragons left on this day, and now they're supposed to return?"

"WHAT?!" I screeched a bit too loudly. People cast me odd glances and Gray tried to explain. There was supposed to be a herd of 10, 000 dragons. Returning on the same day the dragons supposedly vanished without a trace. I remembered the day all too well- waking up and looking forward to catching something for dinner to impress Marol, like I had been taught, but she wasn't there. Nobody was.

I had stayed at the cave in the mountains for two weeks, sure she would come back, like this was one of her leaves like last time. But she never did. So, out of hunger and loneliness, I was forced to leave.

"There's supposed to be an Eclipse Cannon," Freed continued, "to wipe out the dragons." He scratched his chin and I followed his gaze to the night sky. "I do not like the looks of this moon…"

It was an eclipse. Fitting day. I thought back once more to the last hard, cold stare Marol had given me. Relieving the memory from my head, I turned back towards the king.

Then he began to speak. Formally, at first. Then his emotions got in the way. "Please," he sobbed, "I beg you to help the kingdom."

But he had nothing to worry about- cheers of assent ran about through the crowd, including a cheer of my own. I wanted a reason to see a dragon again.

There was a loud, abstract creaking sound. "The gate's opening!" Levy gasped. And it was.

But where were the dragons?

"Where are they?" I wondered aloud. Evergreen shrugged at me. Then, there was a deafening roar.

"They're here!" someone shrieked. "They're here!" But from where? The sky were open, starless, and dragon-less. The roar came from…

Juvia popped out of nowhere. "It came from the palace…" She turned to Gray. "Gray-sama! We will fight together!"

"Uh, sure," Gray mumbled, not sure if he could keep his word on that. Sighing, I turned away from the one-sided relationship.

The dragon was massive.

Large, grey scales and a huge, gaping jaw. But it came from the palace. I heard gasps of shock as buildings crumbled because of a stomp- _one stomp _had destroyed buildings.

"Just like I thought," I murmured. Sting, from beside me, sighed.

"Yeah," he murmured back. "I can't believe we have to fight them."

I nodded along. I wasn't looking forward to it.

One by one, dragons entered the city- through the palace. I could hear the panic, smell the fear. There were seven total when there was a loud boom and a sickening howl prevented any more dragons from arriving.

The seven dragons took to the sky. The first one that had come through had a human standing on its back, a human who had long black and white hair and robes. The green dragon we had seen last night, Zirconis, was also present in the night sky. There was one with a jaw like scissors, and one that looked half fish, with fins down its back. Another one was made of rocks and another was made entirely of flames. A last one was hidden behind the palace and I didn't get a good look at it.

I swallowed nervously. I was scared.

But logic pushed the fear as far away from my mind as it would get. "Let's go!" I hollered. There were a few half-hearted cheers, but we ran on, headed for the palace.

"One guild per dragon! Go, go, go!"

Orders were being shouted, and people were scrambling to find their guild. I was swept with the flow, down several mangled streets, and came face-to-face with the dragon I thought I had the advantage over.

The fire dragon.  
"Fairy Tail!" Master Makarov called. "Hold your ground!"

"My name," the dragon rasped, "is Atlas Flame. And I will show you the fires of hell."

With one large, fiery breath, the dragon pushed us back. It was like a wind, scorching hot, and nobody had any time to react as it threw us backwards. I coughed desperately. The flames ached.

I stood up shakily. "Is… Is everyone okay?"

Erza stumbled to her feet. "I'm fine."

"It's no different than Acnologia!" Elfman cried, hugging Lisanna.

Laxus stood up and breathed heavily. "I'm okay."

"Me too." Gray stood up and cracked his knuckles. "Ice works best against fire, eh?"

"Our time to shine," I joked half-heartedly. A quick glance around proved everybody was relatively unharmed. But if that was what the damage was after one breath, imagine a full out attack. I glanced around again. "Can you get me up, high?"

"Sure," he replied. "Ice Make: Mountain!" A huge amount of magical energy went into creating a huge, solid ice structure. I had to hurry before Atlas Flame melted it down.

I started scaling. "Thanks," I called over my shoulder. I didn't stop to see anyone's reaction- I simply climbed up, and up, and up, wishing Lucky was still here.

I reached the top just as the dragon noticed me. "Foolish human," it snarled. Swiping out a massive claw, the ice structure shattered.

But I was already up. I leaped as the last bit of ice vanished and found myself above the dragon's head. "HYÔRYÛ NO HÔKÔ!*" I screeched. The icy wind slammed into Atlas Flame's head, causing him to stumble downwards. My guild took this moment to attack with all their strength, but as I fell down from the sky, I noticed no attacks were working. Only mine.

***Ice Dragon's Roar**

I tumbled to the ground, tucked, and rolled, scraping myself against the ground. Coughing and choking on dust, I staggered to my feet. "Guys!" I yelled hoarsely. "Only Dragon Slayer magic works!"

But the world was in such a panic nobody heard.

"That, was irritating. And you survived my attack." The dragon seemed to glare down on us. "You must be wizards."

"We aren't just any wizards!" Our guild master grew to fifty times his size and slammed his fist into the dragon's forehead. I wanted to cry out it wouldn't work, but my throat was clogged with dust.

"We're a group tied by the bonds of family!" The attack was courageous, you'd have to admit, but it didn't work. Gramps reeled off a moment later, hand smoldering.

"It doesn't matter what magic you have!" The dragon snarled. People began panicking more than before.

_"LISTEN UP!" _I screamed, louder than I thought I could. "ONLY DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC WORKS!"

This seemed to get through to all the Fairy Tail members, but only caused _more_ panic. I sighed. _There's no justice in the world._

I looked up weakly and saw a clash on one of the dragons. A burst of fire indicated Natsu, meaning he was okay. I sighed in relief- he seemed to be fighting the black and white man.

Then I heard his voice, louder than my own.

**_"CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"_**

Everyone in my line of sight stopped their panicking to listen. A huge blast from the sky pushed the dragon downwards.

**_"DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC CAN TAKE DOWN THESE DRAGONS!"_**

At least _someone _managed to get the message across.

**_"THERE ARE EIGHT DRAGON SLAYERS!"_**

That was what surprised me. There were five in our one guild, and two in Sabertooth. That's only seven. Doesn't Natsu know his math?

**_"AND THERE ARE SEVEN DRAGONS! WE CAN TEAM UP!"_**

The small advantage really provided a tad bit of support to the listeners. A glimmer of hope rose in the crowd- and in myself.

**_"OUR MAGIC IS MEANT FOR TODAY! RIGHT NOW! THE WHOLE REASON WE DRAGON SLAYERS EXIST IS TO FIGHT RIGHT NOW! SO LET'S GO!"_**

I smirked. I knew every other Dragon Slayer did too.

**_"WE'RE HUNTING DRAGONS!"_**

There was another large explosion from the sky and the dragon in the sky roared. I turned back to see the two other Dragon Slayers with me now.

Laxus grunted. "Nicole, you're best suited for this one."

I nodded. "Fine by me. Someone should go to the palace and help Wendy." Laxus confirmed that he would do that and left.

"Gajeel!" Mavis cried. "Find another dragon!" Gajeel nodded and ran off, Levy on his tail.

Then, giant… _bombs _dropped from the sky, like large white eggs. Several people yelped in surprise and confusion as the eggs hit the ground and hatched on impact. They were metal, mini dragons. I paled. _We had enough trouble with one dragon…_

"Everyone," Mavis called. "Fight the smaller dragons!"

"RIGHT!" The large guild I called home rushed forward to greet the new enemy.

I turned towards the current problem in front of me. I was downright scared- it was an expectation I had to meet, to be able to defeat the dragon. But I didn't know how. And I was alone.

Or maybe not.

A hand rested on my shoulder. "Back up?"

I looked up, thankfully, to my partner. "Of course."

With a battle cry, Gray Fullbuster and I charged into battle.

*****:::~~~…**

There were two interruptions during our fight.

But it was going horribly. There wasn't a scratch, dent, or bruise on Atlas Flame, and judging from the noise around me, nobody else was having any luck. Gray knew his attacks would never harm, so he created distractions, lifts, and things for me to use to destroy this dragon. We worked as a perfect pair- fighting, slashing, assisting, predicting movement. When I stumbled, Gray created a shield and I chipped off a piece to eat. The duo worked wonderfully, with Gray able to help me replenish my energy. But I can't eat my way out of this.

But, Natsu thought he could.

Before Natsu arrived, a guy with spiky wild hair and crazy pants landed on top of the dragon, pounding its head to the ground. Gray and I used the moment to our advantage, and I realized there _was _an eighth Dragon Slayer- him. Gray recognized him as Cobra, the poison dragon slayer. He left as quickly as he came, however; I think he found another dragon to fight.

As for Natsu? He leaped on the dragon and started to… _eat him._

I gagged as Natsu started wolfing down the flames. "Of course Natsu would think of that," Gray panted, taking the moment to rest. I nodded in agreement, too tired to say anything else.

Natsu assured me he was fine and took Atlas Flame to fight the other dragon in the sky. Now I was free- to go help someone else.

"Will this battle ever end?" I whispered, coughing.

Gray shook his head. "Doesn't look that way."

"Let's go find Gajeel," I decided. "He's fighting alone."

Gray nodded slowly and stood up straight. "Before we do… Nicole, there's something I have to say to you."

I wanted to scream _Now?! In the middle of a battle?! _But I froze instead, blinking. "…Yeah?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's not that important, but-"

There was a hissing sound behind me, but I couldn't hear it. The world seemed to fall into slow motion; Gray's jaw opened as he seemed to scream something, my head turned achingly slow to see a mini dragon shoot a slow beam of light at me. By the time I was turned around the beam was at my face.

But then it wasn't.

I fell roughly to the floor and the world fell back into normal speed, but as soon as I looked up, it was slow motion again.

Gray had taken the beam, the laser, in the chest.

I was frozen in time, watching the horrible scene, as laser after laser struck Gray. Several to the chest, one to the shoulder, three to the arms. The gaping holes opened in his body and blood dribbled out of his mouth.

"Huh?..." he mumbled, before the final laser knocked him through the head.

As soon as his body hit the ground, the world unpaused, and I could move again. I scrambled over to my fallen partner, shuddering, and leaned over. Tears that I didn't realize were there made paths in my dusty cheeks and fell onto a bloody Gray's chest. I was shaking so much I couldn't control myself anymore.

A horrible, animalistic sound coursed through my body.

**_"GRAYYYYY!"_**

**Remember, continue here, or on other story? Tell me in review ****J**


	50. A Final End, a New Beginning

**Finally, chapter 50!**

**We have come so so so so so far in this story and I thank you all for sticking with me all the way. Honestly I really appreciate it- especially Dragon Ice Feather, who's been there since Day 1. Thank you so so much guys!**

**So I will be continuing here, on this story, so it is continuing. I'm finishing this arc right now, in this very chapter however, just because I can. I'll try, at least.**

**So on we go!  
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_**Previously:**_

_Then I heard his voice, louder than my own._

_**"CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"**_

_Everyone in my line of sight stopped their panicking to listen. A huge blast from the sky pushed the dragon downwards._

_**"DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC CAN TAKE DOWN THESE DRAGONS!"**_

_At least someone managed to get the message across._

_**"THERE ARE EIGHT DRAGON SLAYERS!"**_

_That was what surprised me. There were five in our one guild, and two in Sabertooth. That's only seven. Doesn't Natsu know his math?_

_**"AND THERE ARE SEVEN DRAGONS! WE CAN TEAM UP!"**_

_The small advantage really provided a tad bit of support to the listeners. A glimmer of hope rose in the crowd- and in myself._

_**"OUR MAGIC IS MEANT FOR TODAY! RIGHT NOW! THE WHOLE REASON WE DRAGON SLAYERS EXIST IS TO FIGHT RIGHT NOW! SO LET'S GO!"**_

_I smirked. I knew every other Dragon Slayer did too._

_**"WE'RE HUNTING DRAGONS!"**_

_There was another large explosion from the sky and the dragon in the sky roared. I turned back to see the two other Dragon Slayers with me now._

_Laxus grunted. "Nicole, you're best suited for this one."_

_I nodded. "Fine by me. Someone should go to the palace and help Wendy." Laxus confirmed that he would do that and left._

_"Gajeel!" Mavis cried. "Find another dragon!" Gajeel nodded and ran off, Levy on his tail._

_Then, giant… bombs dropped from the sky, like large white eggs. Several people yelped in surprise and confusion as the eggs hit the ground and hatched on impact. They were metal, mini dragons. I paled. We had enough trouble with one dragon…_

_"Everyone," Mavis called. "Fight the smaller dragons!"_

_"RIGHT!" The large guild I called home rushed forward to greet the new enemy._

_I turned towards the current problem in front of me. I was downright scared- it was an expectation I had to meet, to be able to defeat the dragon. But I didn't know how. And I was alone._

_Or maybe not._

_A hand rested on my shoulder. "Back up?"_

_I looked up, thankfully, to my partner. "Of course."_

_With a battle cry, Gray Fullbuster and I charged into battle._

_*****:::~~~…**_

_There were two interruptions during our fight._

_But it was going horribly. There wasn't a scratch, dent, or bruise on Atlas Flame, and judging from the noise around me, nobody else was having any luck. Gray knew his attacks would never harm, so he created distractions, lifts, and things for me to use to destroy this dragon. We worked as a perfect pair- fighting, slashing, assisting, predicting movement. When I stumbled, Gray created a shield and I chipped off a piece to eat. The duo worked wonderfully, with Gray able to help me replenish my energy. But I can't eat my way out of this._

_But, Natsu thought he could._

_Before Natsu arrived, a guy with spiky wild hair and crazy pants landed on top of the dragon, pounding its head to the ground. Gray and I used the moment to our advantage, and I realized there was an eighth Dragon Slayer- him. Gray recognized him as Cobra, the poison dragon slayer. He left as quickly as he came, however; I think he found another dragon to fight._

_As for Natsu? He leaped on the dragon and started to… eat him._

_I gagged as Natsu started wolfing down the flames. "Of course Natsu would think of that," Gray panted, taking the moment to rest. I nodded in agreement, too tired to say anything else._

_Natsu assured me he was fine and took Atlas Flame to fight the other dragon in the sky. Now I was free- to go help someone else._

_"Will this battle ever end?" I whispered, coughing._

_Gray shook his head. "Doesn't look that way."_

_"Let's go find Gajeel," I decided. "He's fighting alone."_

_Gray nodded slowly and stood up straight. "Before we do… Nicole, there's something I have to say to you."_

_I wanted to scream Now?! In the middle of a battle?! But I froze instead, blinking. "…Yeah?"_

_He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's not that important, but-"_

_There was a hissing sound behind me, but I couldn't hear it. The world seemed to fall into slow motion; Gray's jaw opened as he seemed to scream something, my head turned achingly slow to see a mini dragon shoot a slow beam of light at me. By the time I was turned around the beam was at my face._

_But then it wasn't._

_I fell roughly to the floor and the world fell back into normal speed, but as soon as I looked up, it was slow motion again._

_Gray had taken the beam, the laser, in the chest._

_I was frozen in time, watching the horrible scene, as laser after laser struck Gray. Several to the chest, one to the shoulder, three to the arms. The gaping holes opened in his body and blood dribbled out of his mouth._

_"Huh?..." he mumbled, before the final laser knocked him through the head._

_As soon as his body hit the ground, the world unpaused, and I could move again. I scrambled over to my fallen partner, shuddering, and leaned over. Tears that I didn't realize were there made paths in my dusty cheeks and fell onto a bloody Gray's chest. I was shaking so much I couldn't control myself anymore._

_A horrible, animalistic sound coursed through my body._

_**"GRAYYYYY!"**_

**Chapter 50: A Final End, a New Beginning**

**Nicole's POV**

I sat on the dusty ground, shocked to silence from surprise and agony. Shakily I moved my hand towards his face.

Then my body began to wake up. "Gray!" I shouted hoarsely. "GRAY!" But there was no response. Tears continued to make tracks on my cheeks and I'm not ashamed to say I sobbed. "GRAY! HELP!" But shouting did me no good. I screamed and shook him, but nobody came.

Nobody was anywhere near.

Then the dragons moved in for the final kill...

*****:::~~~...~~~:::*****

"Will this battle never end?" I coughed, exhausted.

"It doesn't..."

Gray trailed off. I paused in confusion as a scene flashed through my head.

_Gray trying to tell me something._

_Dragon appeared._

_Got shot through the head._

The scene terrified me and instinctively I turned around. "What?!"

"I'm going to die," Gray said slowly. "That's creepy."

"Dragons appeared right about there..." I trailed off, pointing towards a pile of rubble that used to be a building. And on cue, a mini dragon piled over the edge along with its entourage. I yelped and swung my hand, at the same time Gray did, making icy spikes blast from the ground and sweep the dragons away.

Gray rubbed the back of his head. "Was that a a vision from the future?"

"I think so," I whispered. "No clue how, but..."

He shrugged in response. "Could it have been..."

We both made eye contact. "Gray Fullbuster," I said loudly, "Never, ever, _ever _die on me or I will kill you."

Gray chuckled weakly at the threat that made no sense. "You're beginning to sound like Erza."

"I mean it," I insisted, and I quickly hugged him, enjoying a couple seconds of warmth- despite being an ice wizard, he was warm. He hugged back, squeezing tight, and we both slowly detached ourselves.

I shrugged, heat rushing to my cheeks. "We have dragons to fight?"

"Yep," he replied. "One thing though."

I turned back to him and he gripped my shoulders, hard. "You're not allowed to die on me either. Okay?"

I smiled. "Crystal clear." Then I frowned. "Where's your shirt?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Uh, must have dropped it somehwere. Come on, let's go!" He released me. The two of us started running in the direction of a large dark red dragon. Suddenly I was grateful for that vision- Gray could've died. However that happened, it made me a slight bit happier. Oh, who am I kidding? A LOT happier.

**...~~~:::*****

We found Gajeel not much later and he merely grunted as he noticed us as we both set off to beat the crap out of the dragon. From the looks of it Gajeel hadn't made a single scratch. "Gajeel!" I called. He nodded at me and preceded to smack the dragon upside the jaw with _Iron Dragon's Club. _"Any progress?"

"Naw," he said quickly. "Natsu steal your dragon?"

I nodded and stared up at the sky, a silly grin on my face. "Yep. He's really something, isn't he?"

"Watch out!" I ducked just in time, thanks to Levy's warning, and the dragon's wing swept right over my head. Gajeel ducked as well and scowled behind him at the bluenette.

Levy stared at him. "Shrimpy!" Gajeel called. "You've got to get out of here."

"I'm staying," she insisted. "Solid Script: Iron!" A large block of iron appeared in front of Gajeel and he gobbled it up faster than I ate my ice.

Gajeel grinned back at her. "Not bad." Levy smiled back.

"If you two would stop flirting," I interrupted, "We've got a dragon problem." Gajeel scoffed at me, blushing slightly, and we turned to the problem at hand.

This dragon was as bad as Atlas Flame. Every hit I made had no effect. Gajeel has no better luck than me. Levy shouted her magic words out and made little distractions, Gray helped Gajeel and I, but nothing worked. The dragon stayed silent, not one to boast, apparently. When it finally spoke it scared me half to death.

I had landed an _Ice Dragon's Hammer _on the beast's head, and tumbled away, before the dragon shook itself, completely unharmed. It narrowed its eyes at me. "You."

It was staring straight at me. His voice was like nails on a chalk board, and it hurt my ears. Gajeel didn't even flinched, he only raised a quizzical eyebrow. The dragon stood up to its full height, as if to frighten us, and spoke again. "You. Child. What is your relation to Acnologia?"

*****:::~~~...**

I've never been speechless before in my life until this moment. So naturally I was left flabbergasted and I spluttered like an idiot. "W... W- What?!" I said, my voice barely at a whisper.

"Acnologia," the dragon growled. "Need I repeat myself?"

"N-No," I stuttered. "I, uh, have no clue what you're talking about."

The dragon snorted in disdain. "Child, you fight like him. Same strategic movements, brutal power, cunning movements. What is your relationship to him?"

"Honestly!" I cried. "I know nothing of Acnologia! He blew up an island I was on, sure, but nothing else!"

The dragon seemed to chuckle, and I could sense Gajeel tensing beside me. I held out a hand for him to stop. "Seriously. I have no clue!"

"What is your name?"

"What kind of a question is that?!" I asked in disbelief. "It's Nicole."

The dragon seemed to want to say something when there was a loud explosion that rocked Crocus. I stared over to the palace, where grey smoke was billowing up into the sky. I turned back to Gajeel, Gray, and Levy. "What was that?"

And then, in a beautiful display of golden light, the dragon in front of us started dissolving into dust. It roared in fury and swiped forward. "Wait!" I called. "What about me and Acnologia?! What about it?!"

The dragon gave me one, last, long, knowing glare. "You will know, child."

And then he was gone.

But one last word spoke in my mind.

_Chi._

Chi? What does that mean?

Levy cheered- all the dragons had vanished, not just our own. Gray sighed in relief and leaned back against a pile of rubble, and Gajeel plunked himself down on the ground with a sigh. "We couldn't slay a single dragon," he grumbled.

That expectation, that standard I had to live up to, slay a dragon. We didn't do it. I wilted in disappointment- how pathetic was that? Failure crushed itself on my shoulders but I pushed it off quickly. The beasts were gone, and that was what mattered. Everyone was safe.

That's what mattered, right?

_Chi._

**...~~~:::*****

"...is such a dress really necessary?" Yukino murmured sadly, staring down at the gorgeous ball gown she was wearing.

I sighed. "You read my mind."

Natsu had destroyed the Eclipse Gate, which, as it turns out, actually brought the dragons to the palace, and so everything that traveled through time vanished. Lucy appeared in fancy celestial clothing and refused to say anything about what happened to her other clothes. Apparently Lucy was the one who shut the door preventing any more dragons from entering. Everyone gathered, treated casualties (thank god nobody was killed) and everybody seemed to want to talk about the moment of time skip. Gray and I didn't really say anything- the last thing we needed was more attention at the moment.

So naturally, we have to end with a party. At the king's castle. _In fancy ball gowns._

"It suits you, Yukino!" Mira said brightly, adjusting the edge of her own dress.

Lisanna squawked in the background. "Mira-nee, help?!"

Yukino was in a stunning blue gown that looked like it had feathers. Lucy was in a pink shaded dress and had her hair up. Mira looked stunning in her dress. Erza looked... like Erza always does, flawless. And I was decked out in a weird ball gown I personally liked, but nobody needed to know that, being the stubborn person I am.

It was my Fairy Tail emblem green, with accents of forest green and lighter green in other places. It wasn't strapless (god forbid) and did up around my neck, with lace over the shoulders, so my Fairy Tail symbol was visible through the silver lace. The lace ended at my chest with a forest green line and then stayed pure green before it tightened and _then _puffed out my waist, regal stripes of forest green and lime green side by side. The bottom brushed the floor.

Lucy puffed out her cheeks. "Oh, come on, Nicole, stop being stubborn for one minute and tell me you love the dress."

"I do," I admitted. "I really do."

Mirajane smiled. "So why all the hesitation?"

I bit my lip. "Can I say something? I actually used to love dresses."

Erza chuckled. Lucy's jaw dropped. "No way! You?!"

"Yup," I said slowly. "Used to. After, like, a year of being on the run, I started thinking they were silly and got in the way. And..." I hesitated again. "I managed to attend a school for a record breaking two weeks, and I felt so self conscious in the darn dresses because it felt like everybody was judging me. Then, I had to leave a week later to prevent myself from being killed."

Everyone giggled. "So," Mirajane smirked, "You're just self conscious?"

I blushed. "Yeah."

Well, way back when, when Erza said something about opening up, I never thought it would lead to this.

Erza got an evil glint in her eye. "So you're going to leave your hair down, then?"

"I used to do that, too," I laughed. "I thought it looked pretty, but it always got in my face and I never knew when I'd have to run again." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Doesn't it bother you?"

Mira giggled. "Now that I think about it, no."

I sweat dropped. _Of course the people in Fairy Tail don't care._

"No need to worry tonight!" Lucy squealed. "Your hair is down!"

"Hey! Let go!"

Lo and behold, the girls had managed to force my hair out of its trusty elastic and down by my shoulders, where it passed my shoulders by a few inches- about as long as Lucy's. Sliding a simple silver hair clip into my hair, the girls stepped back and admired their work. "Beautiful," they confirmed.

"You know," I said quickly. "I've always wanted to try a braid."

And within seconds my hair was braided down my back, barely going past my shoulders. _At least now my long standing tradition of keeping my hair up isn't foiled._

"Great," I said distractedly. "Now can we just-"

"Go!" Mira squealed. "Let's all go out. Come on, you need to go wow the socks off Gray."

"What?!" I yelped. "I don't..." But I was already whisked away.

The enormous ball room was crowded with hundreds of people from the Grand Magic Games. I tugged at my collar nervously as I spotted several other people I recognized. _I have no clue why I seek approval so much but this is getting out of hand-_

"Hey, guys!" The girls and guys greeted each other with snide and happy remarks alike. I noticed the absence of Natsu, but shrugged. He's around here somewhere.

"You look ridiculous in that get up," Gray sneered at Gajeel. I snickered myself- _the man had his hair pulled back _and he never does that.

Gajeel sneered back. "At least I have some clothes on."

I sighed desperately as Gray went on a hunt for his clothes. I spotted Chelia and Wendy chatting with each other, each in equally cute dresses. Lucy was stuffing herself with food and I immediately wandered over to do the same- I was starving.

Shoving another tasty thing-I-don't-know-the-name-of in my mouth, I felt a tap on the shoulder. I turned, cheeks filled with food, and saw Gray, who seemed to have found his suit, which was silver and... a dark green.

Dammit. The girls set me up for this.

Should've known.

I swallowed what I was chewing as quickly as I could and grinned sheepishly at him. "Uh, hi?..."

"Shouldn't you have smelled me coming?"

_What an awkward way to start a conversation. _"Uh, too much good food."

He smiled awkwardly. "I can see-"

"Gray-sama~" came a cooing voice. Knowing immediately who it was I promptly turned around again.

"If you'll excuse me," I said quickly, "I'll just-"

"Wait," Gray said at the same time.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia squealed. "Juvia has entered a new era of Juvias!"

I rolled my eyes with a small smile. Gray awkwardly turned around, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, Juvia."

"Juvia is now Juvia 2.0!" she squealed in the same high pitched voice. "Gray-sama, Juvia loves you!"

I gawked in jealously, anger, and surprise and she lunged forward in a hug for Gray, and the Ice Mage turned away. "Rejected."

The bluenette crashed into _me, _knocking me back over onto my butt. I hit my head slightly off the table and grimaced. "Ow..."

You could see the white's in everyone's eyes. "Uh oh," Gray mumbled.

"I'm not angry at anyone!" I assured, glancing at Juvia, who was scrambling away as fast as her legs would take her. "This is a night of celebration, not a guild brawl."

*****:::...:::*****

"I'm so proud of her," Makarov said, sipping some of his drink. "She's much more loud, noisy, and reckless now that's she's in Fairy Tail."

Every other master sweat dropped and Master Bob of Blue Pegasus smiled softly. "Yes, I'm sure she would still be a timid young one had she joined any other."

"I'm not sure," mused Gold Mine, master of Quatro Puppy- er, Ceberus. "She seems like a naturally loud person in general. I guess finding Fairy Tail just gave her the opportunity to loosen up. She'd still be that way in our wild guild, of course."

Ooba, master of Lamia Scale, twirled her pointer finger in the air. "She'd be a horrible twirler."

*****:::...:::*****

Some people chuckled at my statement but Gray walked over and offered his hand to me. "Are you good?"

"Never been better," I grumbled sarcastically, glaring slightly at Juvia. Taking the hand, I stumbled to my feet, brushing off my dress. I didn't want to be angry with her, honestly, but it was difficult.

Gray turned to his stalker. "I've entered a new era of Grays, too. If I don't like something, I go right out and say it."

I winced. That was a tad bit harsh. Anime tears fell from Juvia's eyes before she immediately puckered up and sighed. "Gray-sama is so brilliant..."

I smirked. "Gah! Not liking this creepy new version!" Gray quickly scooted away, with my wrist in tow, dragging me away from the mess.

Juvia pouted but that was the last thing I saw before I was whisked into the crowd, dodging people and apologizing to those I couldn't dodge. Soon I was pulled into a group of people, all dancing formally in pairs. "Wanna dance?"

My throat dried before I broke into a silly grin. "Sure."

Carefully taking my hand, Gray wrapped his other around my waist and I put my hand on his shoulder. A small blush began forming on Gray's cheeks, and I'm sure my own face was flushed. "Uh," I stumbled, "I really have no clue how to dance, so..."

"It's fine," Gray said curtly. "I can lead."

"You do that," I muttered, nervous. I was wearing small heels- but I was almost positive I would trip and fall. But Gray's arm was firm and his hand, believe it or not, was cold- but not a bad cold. More like a nice cold on a winter's day. The kind that wakes you up and makes you feel alive.

We twirled in a small circle, me catching Lucy's eye at one point where she winked and vanished again. I finally decided to break the silence. "Um, Gray, when the dragon left, I heard something."

My partner continued to dance slowly, only raising his eyebrows at me. I continued. "I heard the word _chi. _Do you know what that means?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "Maybe its a translation of a different language."

I sighed. "I'm still really confused. Acnologia terrorized us and we'd be dead right now because of m- him," I caught myself, stopping myself from saying _me. _"And that dragon said I fought like him. What's that supposed to mean?"

Typically, like when I get caught up in a subject, I began rambling. "Everyone hates Acnologia! So do I! So why do... why do I have to do anything like him? Does it make me different? Does chi have anything to do with it? Probably does, but-"

"Hey," Gray interrupted. "You stress too much."

I smiled. "I guess."

"I think you should stop stressing," Gray deadpanned. "You're Fairy Tail Nicole, not Acnologia Nicole, right? Fighting like Acnologia isn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe... Maybe it's good for technique."

My eyes widened as he continued. "I don't care. You're our Nicole, right? That hasn't changed."

"Yeah," I said softly. "Fairy Tail Nicole, sure."

"You don't sound very confident."

"Brilliant observation," I said sarcastically. "And gee, I wonder why."

Gray smirked. "Well, you're seriously sarcastic, blunt, and bold." I tilted my head. "You say what's on your mind. Sure, you exaggerate a bit, but... that's what makes you... _you. _And we all like that, okay?" He paused for a second. "I like that."

The little alarm bells in my head went off, and if possible, smoke would've poured out of my ears. But instead I lit up like a tomato and smiled, trying to cover up. "At least someone does!" I laughed awkwardly and he grinned arrogantly at me.

"You're easy to rile up," he continued. "Except you're extremely stubborn and hate to admit to things."

"True," I said, stepping backwards in the half circle. Gray stepped forward to match pace.

"Well, I-"

He was about to continue when there was a shriek. We both turned, still clutching hands, expecting trouble, but it was only Kagura yelling at Sting, who was standing in front of Yukino. I'm surprised he was stupid enough to come here to see Yukino.

"Thanks for the dance," I said quickly. "And because you know a lot about me, you'll know I love to be in the middle of drama."

"Something like that," he admitted. So, smiling, we both walked over to the commotion, Gray subconsciously stripping off his fancy top.

Now, unsurprisingly, Fairy Tail was in the problem as well. "Yukino should join our guild!" Lucy was saying. Mirajane was agreeing, Juvia was scoffing about another love rival, Lisanna was wondering how they would tell them apart.

"I have no idea what's going on," I said cheerfully, "but I'm going to join too!"

Happy rolled his eyes. "That's Nicole for you."

"Speaking of which," I turned to the exceed, "where's Natsu?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"That's weird," Gray remarked. "He's normally in the middle of these things."

I nodded in agreement before Quatro Puppy declared Yukino to join. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus did as well. Yukino looked extremely conflicted and the masters were starting to get in on it too.

"What's going on?!" Wendy shrieked. "They're all fighting!"

"That's LOVE!" Chelia said with a smile.

And with that the best brawl began.

"Pull out all of Makarov's hair!"

"Twirl!"

"I've got Gray's clothes!"

_"PISS OFF, GAJEEL!"_

"Lucy-san!"

"EEEEEEEEEEE!"

"That's my dress!"

"Stop destroying my Gray-sama!"

"Nobody's destroying me! Gajeel, _give me my clothes!"_

"Gihihi!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Outta the way!"

_"ENOUGH!" _A huge white knight appeared at the balcony. My foot was stomped on a Twilight Ogre guy's stomach, a hand was on his shoulder, and the other was about to nail him in the nose. "You stand in front of the king! He would like to make a speech!"

Slowly, everyone untangled themselves. Gray, as I noticed, did not find his clothes. We watched eagerly as the king strolled out from his balcony.

"Um..."

"_MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" _Natsu cackled, decked out in the king's crown and robes. "BOW BEFORE YOUR KING!"

Everyone gaped, some in amusement, others in horror, at Natsu tromping around childishly on the balcony. "Oh, come on! We won the Grand Magic Games! Just lemme be king for a while!"

I was about to say something when Lucy beat me to it.

"You're going overboard again!"

Natsu simply grinned down at us cheekily.

I love Fairy Tail.

**What was your favourite line of the whole chapter? One specific or not? Tell me in a review! I'd love to know!**


	51. Vacationing, Part 1: Dress Decisions

**Chapter 51! We made it this far! And an early update!**

**So I was originally hoping for 200 reviews by chapter 55, but thanks to **_AkaneLovesItachi_** I think we can get it this chapter! Thanks so much for all your reviews, **_AkaneLovesItachi_**! It means so much~**

**So, to fluff things up a bit, we're doing a mini arc that'll be like 2 or 3 chapters. Nothing to worry about. It'll be now, right before we step into the angst filled Tartaros. Everyone's gonna be sobbing- and I figured out a huge plot twist centered around Nicole I'm going to pull on y'all. I figured it out a while ago and spent 2 weeks trying to figure out how I could incorporate. **

**Because my character hasn't been tortured enough lately XD**

**REVIEWS~  
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**AkaneLovesItachi: No Gruvia in this story- NiRay and Lyvia, actually :3**

**Marie Yoshina: Even if you wanted to know, I'd be super mean and *gasp* NOT TELL YOU (nothing personal, I promise you)**

**tjhorton30800: Thank you! I think they're my best stories too. Thanks so much for reviewing :3**

**DragonIceFeather: Juvia's a cute weirdo, that's for sure XD And I, in reality, actually don't mind dresses, but I never wear them XD**

**Storm Fullbuster: Thank you so so so much! :)**

**WolfyWolfWolf: Thank you! Thank you so much!**

_**Previously:**_

_"What's going on?!" Wendy shrieked. "They're all fighting!"_

_"That's LOVE!" Chelia said with a smile._

_And with that the best brawl began._

_"Pull out all of Makarov's hair!"_

_"Twirl!"_

_"I've got Gray's clothes!"_

_"PISS OFF, GAJEEL!"_

_"Lucy-san!"_

_"EEEEEEEEEEE!"_

_"That's my dress!"_

_"Stop destroying my Gray-sama!"_

_"Nobody's destroying me! Gajeel, give me my clothes!"_

_"Gihihi!"_

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

_"Outta the way!"_

_"ENOUGH!" A huge white knight appeared at the balcony. My foot was stomped on a Twilight Ogre guy's stomach, a hand was on his shoulder, and the other was about to nail him in the nose. "You stand in front of the king! He would like to make a speech!"_

_Slowly, everyone untangled themselves. Gray, as I noticed, did not find his clothes. We watched eagerly as the king strolled out from his balcony._

_"Um..."_

_"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu cackled, decked out in the king's crown and robes. "BOW BEFORE YOUR KING!"_

_Everyone gaped, some in amusement, others in horror, at Natsu tromping around childishly on the balcony. "Oh, come on! We won the Grand Magic Games! Just lemme be king for a while!"_

_I was about to say something when Lucy beat me to it._

_"You're going overboard again!"_

_Natsu simply grinned down at us cheekily._

_I love Fairy Tail._

**Chapter 51: Vacationing, Part 1**

**Normal POV**

So the ride back to Magnolia was long- and horrible on Nicole and Natsu's stomachs. Erza sat at her sketch book, presumably designing a new set of armor for herself. Wendy was talking with Lucy, who was rubbing Natsu's back as he puked out the window. Gray sat in the back corner, next to Nicole, who was half asleep on Gray's lap, face turning revolting shades of green.

At on point Gray stood up abruptly and started yelling to stop the cart. "Why?" Erza had asked, but Gray mumbled "never mind," and preceded to sob into his hands.

Peering out the window, all Nicole saw was an old lady, standing in the sunlight.

Still feeling sick, she leaned the other way, giving Gray space, and then promptly vomited out the carriage door.

*****:::~~~...**

They arrived back at the guild to cheers, and soon, everything was back to normal... as normal as it would ever be. The guild's loud chatter was contagious. Huge jobs were coming their way, they were sure.

"Gimme my shirt!" Gray hollered one typical afternoon as he swung a fist at Natsu. Childish Natsu giggled and skipped out of the way.

Gray kicked Natsu in the face and snatched his shirt. Natsu sailed into Erza, who thwacked him on the head with her sword. "You DARE interrupt my cake eating?!"

Erza flipped a table and it fell on top of Elfman. "That's not MANLY!" he yelled, punching the already-broken table out of the way... and into Nicole.

"That HURT!" Nicole lashed out in a round house kick and knocked Elfman into Natsu, who spewed flames on Gray, who ran away from Erza, who was beating up Gajeel, who was grabbing at Cana. The place was in chaos.

"LISTEN UP, BRATS!" Master Makarov called loudly. As nobody could hear him over the sound of glass breaking and wood splintering, he grew into his giant form and stepped down, taking Gray, Elfman, and Natsu down in the process. _**"LISTEN UP BRATS!"**_

The guild quieted down and the giant lifted its foot, releasing Natsu, Elfman, and Gray. Elfman groaned about how it wasn't manly to step on someone, Natsu just shook himself off and stared up at Gramps, and Gray mumbled something incoherent and sat down in between Nicole and Erza.

"Brats!" Makarov called, shrinking back down to his normal four foot form. "Mirajane has a proposal for you."

As Mirajane walked out onto the balcony, Natsu grabbed his hair in a panic. _"Proposal?! _Does Mira want to marry the guild?"

Several people chuckled. "Yes, Natsu," Nicole answered sarcastically. "She wants to marry us all."

Natsu was about to make some smart-ass comment when Mira smiled down at everyone. "Hey guys!" she cheered. Everyone shouted friendly (and not so friendly) greetings back at Mira. "So we won a lot of money with the Grand Magic Games tournament, and we've worked extra hard, so Master Makarov has agreed to let the guild go on a friendly vacation to the beaches!"

Cheers went up through the guild hall and Nicole gulped. "Does this mean I have to wear a bikini?"

Lucy punched her playfully in the arm as Mira continued. "I've made all the preparations, along with Erza-" the red head stood up and joined Mira on the balcony- "including activities, parties, and... _room mates."_

Realization dawned on the entire guild hall. "Shit," Nicole grumbled.

Bursting into chatter, the guild began turning towards people, wondering who room mates would be. Makarov stomped his foot and everyone shut up again. "Thank you, Master," Erza said. "Now, if any damage should come to the wonderful hotel by the beach that we are staying at..." her eyes grew deadly red. "There will be CONSEQUENCES."

"YES, ERZA!" Fifty people shouted in unison. Erza smiled pleasantly.

"Very good." Mirajane opened her arms. "We've prepared clothing, rides, everything. The carriage is waiting! Let's go!"

"Wait, now?!" squawked Lucy as she was pushed towards the exit along with the sea of people.

Erza appeared beside her. "We are quite spontaneous."

"No kidding," Nicole said, trekking towards the carriage. Her face paled. "There is no way I'm riding on that thing."

"Do you have other means of transportation?" Mira looked pointedly at the five dragon slayers.

Laxus paled and mumbled something incoherent and the white-haired bar maid smiled cheerfully and led him towards the carriage. Wendy smiled and said she didn't need to worry about it, and hopped onto the waiting carriage. Soon everyone was loaded up and ready to go. "Happy!" Natsu cheered. "Let's fly!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy and Natsu took off, followed by Gajeel and Pantherlily. Nicole blinked.

"Come on, Nicole," Gray urged. "You'll be fine."

The stubborn Dragon Slayer shrugged. "I'll run along side."

"Can you keep up?"

"Watch me."

Several guild members sweat dropped as Nicole smiled evilly.

*****:::~~~...**

Nicole didn't exactly... _run, _per say, beside the carriage. You could say she slid.

It wasn't far, maybe a 10 minute ride, but Nicole created a long, thing stretch of ice beside the road. "See ya!" She called as she stepped foot on the ice and skated away.

Laxus sighed. "The one Dragon Slayer who doesn't have an exceed is always the stubborn one."

And so they went.

Nicole seemed to get tired with a minute left, but she held on. She skated quickly at first, then slowed to the pace of the carriage. Gray swung his head out the window, crossing his arms, and watched the brunette slide along peacefully. "Ice Make ramp!" The ramp came up from under Nicole, slanting backwards, and out of surprise caused her to slide the opposite way. Away from their desination.

"FULLBUSTER!"

"...Gray," Wakaba whispered, "do you have a death wish?"

Nicole seemed to move twice as fast, using Gray's idea of making a ramp under herself that gave her momentum to move forward. She ended up catching up to the carriage... and then passing it. All while shouting bloody murder at Gray, who ducked back in the carriage and tried to hide.

"Every man for themselves!" Upon hearing Nab's startled cry, Macao threw Gray out the window as to not be under the war path of Nicole. Gray yelped as he landed on the dirt road and the carriage zipped on. Natsu, from above, cackled and taunted his rival as he flew ahead.

"Ice Make Floor!" Gray tried the same tactic and began sliding after the scary Fairy Tail mage, who was sliding backwards and glaring at him. Gray grinned coyly. Nicole huffed and spun around again, skating that last fifty feet to the large hotel building. Gray skidded to a stop next to her, smiling sheepishly.

Nicole glared at Gray. "Just make my life all the more difficult, why don't you."

On the good side, the hotel was beautiful. It has plain marble walls with gold trim and balconies at every room. There were revolving doors at the start and apparently there was a pool or hot tub inside.

Everyone slowly exited the vehicle and the exceeds descended, dropping their Dragon Slayer partners. "Alright!" Mira squealed. "Now that we've all made it here in one piece-" Nicole glared pointedly at Gray- "Everyone take the envelope with their name on it. It's got a key to your room inside."

Swiftly, Levy plucked her envelope that had her name scrawled over it and ducked into the hotel. Lucy followed, then Nicole, and then everyone stormed into the hotel. The poor clerk at the front desk literally ducked as the Fairy Tail wizards stormed inside. Nicole tore open her envelope and picked up a old bronze key with the numbers '619' on it. Shrugging, the mage hopped into the elevator with Levy, Lucy, Bisca, Romeo, Wendy, Macao, and Elfman. Everyone has ripped open their respective envelopes and began pressing the first number of the three number combination into the key pad. Before the doors closed, Nicole spotted Erza dragging Natsu and Gray into another elevator.

At the second floor Macao hopped off.

At the fourth floor Romeo and Wendy jumped out. They both glanced at each other before comparing keys. "We're in the same room!" they heard Wendy gasp before the doors shut completely.

Lucy smirked and Levy smiled sweetly. Bisca hopped off at the fifth floor, and Levy, Lucy, and Nicole all got off on the sixth. Waving good bye the Elfman, who continued upwards, the girls realized what their room number's were.

"Maybe I'm with one of you guys!" Levy squealed. "I'm room 618."

Nicole shook her head. "619." They both turned to Lucy, who sighed dejectedly.

"620. At least we're all side by side!" The three girls nodded and all headed off down a hallway, where there was the distant sound of doors opening and closing.

Nicole found her room, indeed next to Levy and Lucy, and popped the key into the lock. Twisting, the door clicked open. She thrust open the door.

Her room mate was sitting on the single bed in the room.

Nicole blinked. "Gray?"

Gray blushed. "Nicole."

They both stared for a minute before Nicole closed the door behind her and surveyed the room. The balcony door was straight across from her. There was a TV and one large bed, a bathroom to her right, and a microwave and ironing board to her left. She blinked again before they made eye contact, blushing.

"You can have the bed."

They both spoke at the same time, before blushing furiously. "No, you can."

"No, you can!"

They were about to continue arguing when the phone on the nightstand next to the bed buzzed to life, replaying a message. "Hello!" came Mira's cheerful voice. "Now, everybody is in their rooms."

"Yes," Erza's voice said. "I made sure of it."

"Don't try to pick up the phone," Mira continued. "The message is going out to all Fairy Tail members! Okay, so you may have noticed there's only one bed. That's because you have to SHARE it!~"

Nicole and Gray could hear a scream that sounded an awful lot like Gajeel. Nicole turned as red as a tomato. "That's ridiculous," Gray stammered, "I'll just sleep on the floor-"

"And if you don't," Erza threatened, "we come during the night and I am granted full permission to unleash my torture devices on you!"

Gray blinked. "Uh oh."

The Ice Dragon Slayer turned and marched into the bathroom to avoid Gray seeing her beat red face. But she still listened in to the message.

"Party tonight in about half an hour," Mira squealed. "Guys and girls, the drawers are packed with stuff for you! Ciao for now!"

Nicole took a long breath.

Then screamed at the top of her lungs.

The phone message shut off. Nicole marched out of the bathroom and crossed her arms like nothing had happened. "Typical Mira matchmaking scheme."

"Yeah, well," Gray mumbled, raking a hand through his hair, "what can we do?"

"I bet Levy's with Gajeel," Nicole said with a smirk. "And Natsu with Lucy."

"He'll enjoy that," Gray snickered.

The two lapsed in silence as Nicole pulled open a drawer with her name on it and began rummaging through it. She found a bag with the label 'party dress' on it and tugged it out. "After this I'm going to MURDER them," she grumbled. Nicole turned back towards Gray, who was now shirtless. "I'm going to be blunt here and say this is going to be extremely awkward," she started, "and I don't want it to be like that, so we're going to have to deal."

Gray grinned. "Fine by me." He snatched a parcel with 'party suit' scrawled on it. "Let's get changed."

Nicole ducked into the bathroom. "No peeking, pervert!" she called out over her shoulder.

"Hey!" Gray complained. "What do you think I am?"

However Nicole didn't answer as she locked the door behind her.

Opening the bag, Nicole paled. It was a hot pink dress, a nice colour that Nicole hated, but strapless and stopped mid thigh. She cursed multiple times. It was horrendous.

"Nicole? You okay in there?"

"Yep!" Nicole called back. "Just trying to plot how to murder Mira and Erza. I have to go visit Lucy. Be right back." Before he could object Nicole had put the dress back in the bag and slammed the door behind her.

Knocking on Lucy's door, the blonde came to the door and beamed at Nicole. "A friendly face! Hi!"

"Yeah, I guess I can say the same." She peered behind Lucy and giggled. "You're with Natsu?"

Lucy blushed beet red. "Y-Yeah. Your's is Gray?"

Nicole nodded and Lucy giggled. "Well, no surprise there!"

"Lucy," Nicole said, "The dress they gave me is horrible and I was wondering if there's anything you could do about it."

Lucy blinked. Nicole stepped inside the door way and heard Natsu scream something before she held up the short dress. Lucy covered her mouth. "That's so cute!"

"Can we trade?" The Ice mage begged. The Celestial mage giggled and pulled out her own bag. It was again a strapless dress, but light blue and covered in stars.

Nicole gaped at the dress. "No, don't trade. That would look awesome on you."

Lucy smiled softly at Nicole's selflessness. "Lucky for you I've got a few devices I sneaked in along the way." She pulled out one device with a button and dial, and pair of scissors, and a needle and thread.

Nicole blinked at the things and gratefully smiled at Lucy. "Thank you SO much."

"No problem!" Lucy bade Nicole good bye as the Dragon Slayer marched back into her room. Swinging the door open, Nicole spotted Gray, who was cruising through TV channels, all while wearing a black suit with a... pink tie.

There seems to be a matching theme for the last few days.

Nicole blushed beet red again as Gray turned to face her. "Where'd you go?"

"To get some stuff." Nicole extended her palm and showed the materials to her partner. He glanced at them quizzically and Nicole sighed and held up the dress.

Pause.

Then Gray burst out laughing, clutching his stomach and rolling on the bed. Nicole glared hard at him before pounding him with her fists. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Oh my god," Gray snickered. "I can see why you got stuff."

She blushed and held up the magic device with the dial on it. "Laugh all you want. What colour should I make this?" When Gray looked confused she waved it in front of his face. "This changes the colour of a clothing article. I got one and broke it soon after."

_Of course you did, _Gray thought. "Um, try forest green."

Nicole tried it and it looked much better than before. Ducking into the bathroom and slipping it on, she emerged again and blushed furiously at the ground. "I still hate the strapless stuff."

Gray held up the scissors. "That why she gave you these."

Nicole, understanding, rummaged through her bag and found a long sun dress. Using the scissors she carefully snipped off a bit from the bottom, so it all looked even, just a bit shorter. She took the strips, and using the needle and thread, stitched them on the strapless mini dress, Gray sewing it up in the back. Changing the colour so it matched the dress, Nicole twirled in the mirror. "Much better with straps."

"Looks fine too," Gray added. Nicole blushed slightly and then turned the colour changing device on Gray.

He shrunk back a bit. "How'd you look in a hot pink suit?" Nicole crowed mischievously.

"No way!" Gray snatched at the device, Nicole tried to snatch it back, and it flew across the room onto the bed.

They both glanced at each other for a second before yelling, "MINE" and lunging across the room and reaching for the device. Gray grabbed it first, but Nicole tasered him in the ribs and he yelped and let go. Fighting fire with fire, Gray pinned down Nicole's arms and grabbed the device back. "No pink for you."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "Fine." She gently pried it away. "But one thing." She aimed at Gray's tie and it turned forest green. "They wanted us to match, and I can tell you hated the pink."

He grinned his arrogant, snarky grin. "Great."

Nicole combed out her hair with a brush the match makers had packed and she was about to sling it up when Gray knocked her hands away. "Leave it down and she won't give you as much heck and you would with the hair up and the defiling of the dress."

Said Dragon Slayer nodded at this and let her hair fall to her shoulders. Feeling self-conscious, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "Uh, we should..."

"Be going," Gray finished. "Okay, let's go." He held open the door and Nicole dramatically stepped out.

The pair took two steps when Natsu and Lucy's door opened at the two of them emerged. Lucy was in the blue dress, with her hair in its signature side ponytail, and Nicole was right- it did look beautiful on her. Natsu was what surprised Nicole- he was wearing a suit with a light blue tie. He looked... grown up, for once.

Yet his brain still proved to be immature when he pointed at Gray and cackled. "You look ridiculous, Ice Princess!"

Gray's eyes flashed white. "You look even stupider than me!"

As the two continued to bicker, Nicole and Lucy made their way to the elevators. "The dress looks great," Lucy complimented.

"Thanks!" Nicole beamed. "Mira and Erza will give me heck for it though. Later I'll return your stuff."

"Thanks," Lucy said quickly. "Mira and Erza are going through a lot here, huh?"

"I bet they're having fun." The two girls giggled and shut themselves in an elevator before the boys could reach them.

This party was going to be awkward and fun- typical Fairy Tail style.

**Suggestions? Yes? No?**


	52. Vacationing, Part 2: Quick Finish

**CHAPTER 52 FOR SECRETS CAN KILL!  
**

**WEEEEEEEE MADE IT TO 200 REVIEWS THANK YOU GUYS ILY SOOOOO MUCH**

**That made my day, honestly! This story is, I think, my favourite to write, mostly because I have my own character. I understand not many people like that OC business but I love the creativity. So I'm dedication this chapter to EVERYONE who's followed, favourited, and reviewed in the past. Thank you so much.**

**So here's a long ass list of all the followers. Favouriters and followers (I'm creating my own words here) have a '***' next to them. People who've ONLY favourited have one *. Followers are listed. It's in alphabetical, so find your name if you want :)**

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**That took a while XD But it was worth it. The above was done a few days before the chapter was released, so some may not be up to date. But, you guys have made this journey worth it! Thank you all so much! Everyone single one of you has made my day!**

**So let's go :)**

* * *

**REVIEWS~**

**Skyline179: YAS the sleeping arrangements will be cute :3 Awkwardness XD XD XD Thanks for the review!**

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**NO _PREVIOUSLY_ THIS WEEK due to long intro!~**

* * *

**Chapter 52: Vacationing, Part 2**

**Nicole's POV**

Giggling softly, I swayed in the elevator as it dinged for the sixth floor. I stumbled out, my body almost lifeless, my brain only half functioning, and screaming at me, _you're drunk, you're drunk, you're drunk._

In my defense, there was no way I WANTED to be drunk. I swear Cana spiked that punch and purposely kept refilling my cup. We had so much fun partying- Gray lost half his suit half way through, I think...

I feel extremely dizzy. The alcohol must be getting to me. I don't want to ruin my dress, though...

I made myself thrust the key into the lock of the door, twist, open, close, collapse on the bed.

Then preceded to pass out.

**Gray's POV**

As usual, Cana was spiking punch. She dumped almost a half bottle full in Lucy's glass, and then gave me the 'death stare' meaning that if I mentioned it I'd wake up without a head. I'm quite willing to bet Erza and Mira put her up to this. My suit jacket was gone but I didn't care.

Mira shot daggers at Nicole and I when we came in because of the dress change, but Nicole simply grinned at her and sauntered off. I smirked but then paled when Erza got a devilish glint in her eyes.

It was fun, and Erza had to tie Natsu down so he would stop beating people up. Typical. It was amusing though; I got to use him as a punching bag.

I noticed at about 10 that Cana was only spiking the girls' punch.

I hadn't had a drop of alcohol but Cana had gone through about four bottles just in refilling the girls'. Lucy was cuddling up to Natsu, Wendy was swaying around the room, and Levy was laughing loudly. Erza, however, was visibly not drunk and simply smirked at the whole scene. Juvia kept wailing and clawing at my side, almost no different from normal, but it was annoying.

When Mira noticed Nicole, as soon as the brunette turned away, Mira whispered something to Cana and soon Cana was at Nicole's neck with bottles full. After a sip or two Nicole didn't notice whatsoever Cana's scheme. It was weird seeing her drunk- she squealed every time someone touched her, whined about her nails, and fussed with her hair.

I found the red head and marched over to her. "Fun party, eh?"

"Yes, I'm quite enjoying myself," Erza replied.

"Watching the girls get drunk?"

"Extremely amusing."

I nodded along, smirking. "So this is yours and Mira's master scheme of getting people in awkward situations?"

"Nicole's bluntness is rubbing off on you," she said with a smile. "But yes. Phase one is done, phase two is in initiation." She cracked her knuckles. "I'm looking forward to seeing if people are following the sleeping arrangements." Erza glared at me pointedly.

I chuckled nervously and tugged at my collar- wait, what collar? My shirt was gone. I sighed and began scavenging for my shirt, which ended up being halfway across the room. I caught Natsu smirking at the sight and so I socked him across the mouth, which provoked Gajeel into kicking me, and causing another Fairy Tail brawl, to which Nicole squealed and ducked under a table.

A half hour later, Gajeel tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and he was carrying a half-dead Nicole. "Cana literally forced the bottle of beer down her throat."

Nicole's head flopped to the side, and her braid came undone, spilling her light brown waves over her shoulders. I sighed again and took her from Gajeel. "Thanks."

"WHY would Cana be forcing alcohol down her throat?" Gajeel remarked.

I sweat-dropped. "She may have gotten a hot pink dress and then changed it."

"Gihihihihihihi," Gajeel chuckled, adjusting his orange tie. "Typical Princess. Shrimp got an orange mini dress." He jerked his chin towards Levy, who was giggling uncontrollably as Cana refilled her glass. Then Gajeel paled. "Shit." And he stalked away to find the bluenette.

I shook my head and shifted the brunette so I carrying her bridal style. She mumbled something and flopped her head down on my arm.

_"Where do you think you're going?!"_

I gulped nervously at Mirajane's devilish voice. I turned around, sweat forming on my forehead. "Uh, she collapsed so I was bringing her back to the room..."

"After she ruined my perfect dress?" Mira wailed. "I tried so hard..." she began sobbing into Erza's breast plate, and the red head knight was patting her head comfortingly.

This situation was extremely uncomfortable. "Uh, Mira," I complained. "It's not that big of a deal-"

"YOU DARE TO REPEAT THAT SENTENCE?!"

"Yikes! Erza!"

Erza began chasing me around and smacking me repeatedly with a sword. I cried for my life and in the fray Mira stole Nicole from me. A brawl ensued, Natsu became untied and joined, and soon Master Makarov was sobbing about the damage expenses he would have to pay. Slowly, everyone began migrating back to their rooms. I faintly caught Mira dumping Nicole in an elevator and then leaving. I sighed and pushed my way to the elevator. _She's in trouble._

But then there was more chaos and everyone was making their way towards the elevators, most likely going to their rooms. Watching the numbers at the top, I saw one go up to the sixth floor, and then start heading back down to our floor. _That must have been Nicole's elevator, _I thought as a large group of Fairy Tail members got into the other elevator.

There was a ding and I was stuck in an elevator with a drunk Cana, drunk Lucy, drunk Levy, Gajeel, Natsu, and Max.

Max and Cana got off at the fifth floor while the rest of us made our way to our rooms on the sixth floor. Natsu was carrying Lucy awkwardly, as she was rubbing her index finger under his chin, trying to make him purr. Gajeel had thrown Levy over his shoulder, the book worm giggling the whole time. I shook my head and twisted my way around the crowd to make way to my room. Jamming the key in the lock, I threw open the door, closed it behind me, and looked across the room.

Nicole had passed out on the bed.

I guess that was much better than some scenarios Mirajane had in mind. Sighing, I stripped down to pants and then tucked the blue blanket over her sleeping form. She looked almost peaceful, so I guess she wasn't having nightmares. Remembering Erza's warning, I slipped into the bed next to her, tucking my legs under the covers and flicking off the lamp next to the bed.

Nicole's shortish hair was sprawled across the pillow and one of her makeshift dress straps had snapped. Blushing, I tucked her hair under her head and smiled, falling asleep with my hand laying on her shoulder.

**...~~~:::*****

"Wake up, sleepy head," I said, shaking Nicole's shoulder. She didn't move. Sighing, I threw open the curtains and bright morning light poured into the room. Nicole hissed, much resembling a vampire, and tucked her head under the blankets. I grabbed the sheet and threw them away. "It's 8:30. Breakfast is at 9."

"Ughhhh," she mumbled. "I've got a killer headache." She sat up, rubbing the back of her head. "Ow..."

Then she looked at herself. "...Why am I still in this dress?"

I chuckled. "You crashed and I threw you in here. Why, did you want me to change you?"

"Pervert!" She hopped up from the bed and snatched some things from her drawer. "I'm changing." And then she marched off to the bathroom.

I shook my head and smirked._ She's pretty damn cute. _Whistling, I pulled out blue swim trunks and a black button up collared shirt with short sleeves- I left it unbuttoned though. I'd probably shed it at one point. Changing quickly, I turned just in time to see the Ice Dragon Slayer emerge from the bathroom.

She was wearing jean shorts, showing off her long, tanned legs, and had a loose white shirt that hung over her shoulders and ended at her stomach. Her hair in its usual ponytail and sunglasses slung up in her hair. She threw her ruined dress back into the drawer. "Ugh."

"We're doing the beach today," I added. She moaned and marched back into the bathroom, most likely throwing on a bathing suit. Nicole came back again, looking almost the exact same, but with a green bikini strap poking out from under her white top.

She sighed, crossed her arms, and glared at me. "How'd you know?"

"Makarov called over phone," I said. "You slept through it. Apparently you're a heavy sleeper."

I could almost FEEL her rolling her eyes. "Anything else I miss?"

"Yeah, we leaving tonight, because Gramps doesn't want to pay for any more expenses than he already does."

She giggled. "Some party, eh?"

I turned to face her. "You could say that." I laced my fingers and cracked my knuckles. "The beach should be fun. I've already packed up my stuff, you can do that later. I figured you didn't want me touching your clothes."

"You got that right." She sighed loudly and fell back on the bed. "This trip has been a disaster so far."

"Hey, the beach will be fun!" I protested.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "No, it won't."

"You know," I said dryly, "you could win the award for the biggest complainer."

Nicole snorted. "Crystal's five times worse than me."

I clapped my hands. "Breakfast! Let's go!" So reluctantly, we went.

*****:::~~~...**

**Normal POV**

This day didn't exactly go as planned, either.

At breakfast Nicole and Natsu ate enough to feed an army, Gajeel eagerly assisting. Makarov cried at owing the hotel four racks of metal silverware that Gajeel claimed to have no knowledge of. All the girls seemed hungover from the previous night, but Erza and Mira were making sketches and plans at their breakfast table.

At the beach, Gray and Natsu became highly competitive about everything- sun bathing, sand castles, swimming, racing. Gray's swim shorts got lost somewhere and every girl cried for their innocence as he tried to locate them. At one point the entire beach was frozen over, then melted, and they were kicked out by the hotel staff for 'disturbance to the other guests' and the fairies were sent home.

Nicole sighed in relief at being back at the guild.

Natsu cheered about beating Gray in the sand castle contest.

Gray complained about Natsu lying about him beating him in the sand castle contest.

Lucy squealed as a guild brawl ensued.

Master Makarov cried at the fines that they owed.

Erza grimaced as the cake she was eating was squashed.

And poor Mira sobbed her heart out that no couples did anything. Oh, well. Another plan for another time.


	53. The Sun Village: Sniper

**Hello again, for Secrets Can Kill, chapter 53!**

**We've come so far and I never thought we could, so thanks so much for all of this :) Tartaros arc, here we come! Time for tears and heartbreak for, like, everyone! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**:)**

**REVIEWS~**

**AkaneLovesItachi: I love potatoes :3**

**William Slayton: I've thought about it... Maybe XD**

**WolfyWolfWolf: Thank you! :)**

**DragonIceFeather: The ship'll sail... some day...**

_**Previously:**_

_This day didn't exactly go as planned, either._

_At breakfast Nicole and Natsu ate enough to feed an army, Gajeel eagerly assisting. Makarov cried at owing the hotel four racks of metal silverware that Gajeel claimed to have no knowledge of. All the girls seemed hungover from the previous night, but Erza and Mira were making sketches and plans at their breakfast table._

_At the beach, Gray and Natsu became highly competitive about everything- sun bathing, sand castles, swimming, racing. Gray's swim shorts got lost somewhere and every girl cried for their innocence as he tried to locate them. At one point the entire beach was frozen over, then melted, and they were kicked out by the hotel staff for 'disturbance to the other guests' and the fairies were sent home._

_Nicole sighed in relief at being back at the guild._

_Natsu cheered about beating Gray in the sand castle contest._

_Gray complained about Natsu lying about him beating him in the sand castle contest._

_Lucy squealed as a guild brawl ensued._

_Master Makarov cried at the fines that they owed._

_Erza grimaced as the cake she was eating was squashed._

_And poor Mira sobbed her heart out that no couples did anything. Oh, well. Another plan for another time._

**Chapter 53: Sun Village**

**Normal POV**

"Mmmmmmm this feels sooooo nice," Cana droned, sinking into the newly built Fairy Tail baths. Stretching her arms out she turned towards the other girls. "Come on it, the water's perfect."

"This is nice," Lucy admitted, sinking her naked body into the water. Soon all the girls were in the water... with one exception.

Typically, Nicole stood at the edge, towel wrapped firmly around her body. "It's okay," she managed nervously. "I'll just... wait outside, in the guild hall."

"You gotta come in, girl!" Cana cheered. "Before I pull you in!"

Nicole paled. "Fine." Covering herself carefully she slipped into the water, hands crossed over her chest and knees tucked up.

The girls began to chat about the huge amount of jobs the guild had been getting, and requesting specific mages. "Wendy and Erza went on one together," Mirajane said. "As well as Gray and Natsu."

The Ice Dragon Slayer rolled her eyes. "They probably destroyed just about everything in sight."

Every girl nodded in agreement. "Didn't you go on one yesterday?" Lucy asked Nicole.

She nodded. "Some snobby mother wanted me to make an ice palace for her little brat." She rolled her eyes again. "Why she wanted me and not Gray, she never said."

The girls continued talking for a bit when they spotted Flare Corona in the tub nearby. But after learning she was harmless, they went back to the guild hall. Erza and Lucy had fetched Gray and Natsu after their three day long job that only took less than an hour- the rest of it consisted of arguing.

"I," Gray announced, "am never going on another job with flame brain again."

"Same goes for you," Natsu grumbled, slumping his head on the table. Everyone laughed lightly and Master Makarov emerged from his office. "Gray, Natsu, and Nicole, there's a job request for you three!"

There was a loud bang of Nicole smacking her head off the table, groaning. Natsu leaped to his feet. "No! No way!"

"Never in a million years!" Gray agreed, standing up next to his rival.

"Why me," Nicole whined.

"Oh, no." Gramps' face paled and he gripped the paper tightly. "You are all going and you are going to be on your best behavior. This... This is a job from the Fourth Wizard Saint in all of Ishigar."

**_"WHAT?!"_**

*****:::~~~...**

"I still don't see why I have to go," Gray grumbled, tossing his shirt behind him. "Pyro can just do something else."

"Oi!" Natsu howled. "Go die in a hole!"

"Your hair colour is making my eyes hurt!"

"You should just let Erza gobble you up!" Natsu hollered

"Take a bath in Erza's turds!" Gray retorted back.

Erza glared. "I feel insulted."

"MOVING ALONG," Nicole said loudly, dragging the rivals by their ears. Wendy and Lucy giggled at the sight- the two female mages in Fairy Tail who could control the duo.

**...~~~:::*****

_"Shh, quiet!" _Warrod yelled quietly, dripping precious water droplets onto the plants. "Plants prefer peace and quiet. If your minds can comprehend that, then keep your noisy mouths shut!"

Questioning the sanity of this Wizard Saint, the group of six mages became oddly silent. Then he burst into odd, short chuckles of laughter. "Just kidding! It was a joke! A joke, that's all." He twirled in a circle, splattering the plants and the mages with water. "Actually, flowers and other plants love to hear the sound of human voices! Wa ha ha ha ha!~"

"A tree?!" Lucy spluttered.

Natsu sighed. "What's with this old man?"

"Ah, I must welcome you, wizards of Fairy Tail." The tree-man swished his hands in a gesture meaning _enter._

The six wizards were rushed inside and they all waited patiently for the wizard to explain the quest. But the first thing he did was bend down and squish Carla and Happy's cheeks. "Natsu and Gray! But where's Nicole? You're a bit shorter than I thought."

Everyone stared at him blankly. Then he began to laugh again. "Just kidding! It was a joke! AHAHAHAHA"

"He's got a lot of energy for an old guy," Nicole grumbled, crossing her arms. Gray nodded in agreement.

Erza sighed. "Forgive my presumption, but you _are _the wizard saint Warrod Sequen, are you not?"

The man nodded intensely, a look of determination shining on his face. "Indeed I am. I am Warrod Sequen." Then he grinned, showing off white teeth. "I'm joking."

"EHHHHHHH?" Everyone said out loud.

He chuckled loudly. "Actually, THAT was the joke."

Gray shook his head. "This old guy is wearing me out."

"With all due respect, sir," Nicole said quickly. "You sent us a job request?"

"Ah, yes. Serious business." He ushered everyone to a set of benches.

Sighing, the Wizard Saint rested his hands on his lap. "I have been using my plant magic to rid the world of deserts and such, as some of you may know. I came across the village of the Sun, which, according to records, worships an eternally burning flame." Natsu raised his eyebrows. "However... the village is entirely frozen, including the flame."

Lucy and Wendy gasped. "How can you freeze a flame?!"

Warrod sighed. "The frozen people are still alive."He looked up and into the eyes of the Fairy Tail mages. "Please help melt the ice and save the village. That is my job request."

Natsu leaped up from the table and ignited his fists. "That makes sense! This'll be easy!"

"If that's it," Gray said, "you don't need me."

Warrod sighed. "This... wasn't ordinary ice. Your team will need your skills as well." He next nodded at the Ice Dragon Slayer. "You as well."

After a quick scan of the faces of the group, Erza smiled at the elderly man. "Of course we'll do it."

Gray and Natsu fist bumped. "Leave it to us."

Lucy and Nicole high-fived. "We got this!"

"Excellent. The village is about 1, 200 miles to the south. Let me provide you with a mode of transportation." Closing his eyes and waving his hands, and huge flower in green and pink vines and petals burst out of the dusty ground, underneath the feet of the Fairy Tail wizards.

"Whoa!" Nicole yelped, scrambling towards the center of the flower. Natsu pumped his fist in the air and let out a loud cheer. Wendy looked on, transfixed by the movement and view. Looking back one last time, Nicole caught a glimpse of Warrod, watching them go.

Sighing, the Dragon Slayer flopped back on the soft petals. Gray scooted over next to her. "Don't like heights?"

"I like them," she dismissed. "But this Ice mage needs a nap to rest up for my huge appetite." She sighed blissfully and pumped her fist in the air. "All you can eat buffet for me!" Gray smirked down at the brunette as he too flopped back onto the petals, awaiting the moment they would arrive at this unique village.

*****:::~~~...**

"Warrod-san wasn't kidding," Wendy murmured as she stepped off the bouncy flower petals. "The entire place is iced over."

It was true. Everything was covered in ice, the giant mountain behind the village, the giant houses, and... the giant people? "This is a village of huge people!"

"They're giants," Nicole observed, shifting her jacket.

"HUGE!" Natsu squawked, looking around frantically at the large beings. "HUGE!"

Nicole looked over at Gray and was surprised to see sweat was dripping down his face and he was shaking. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." he said shakily. "It's just, beings trapped in ice..."

Nicole tapped her chin. "Deliora, right?" Gray nodded stiffly. "I'm sorry..."

"Compose yourself," Erza advised. Natsu nodded and ran over to the ice, firmly pressing his hands down as fire swirled around his hands, and then his body. "MELT!" As he got more frustrated the fire became more intense. Flames raced up the ice, Happy cheering Natsu on all the while, and the ice did not melt.

Gray then pressed a hand to the ice. "This ice... is different."

"May I?" Nicole pushed past Gray, nudged Natsu out of the way, and chipped off a relatively large chunk of ice. Sinking her canines into the piece, she slowly chewed. Then she spat it out. "Oh god! This is gross!"

Lucy stared at her blankly. "Uh, no offense, Nicole, but ice... is ice."

"It's more complicated than that," Nicole argued, crossing her arms. "This ice is tough, gritty, and leaves a sickening taste in my stomach. It's horrible."

Gray smirked. "So my ice tastes fine, I guess?"

"Sure," Nicole rambled. "It's smooth and clear and everything. The texture's nice and..." Blushing, the brunette inhaled loudly, sucking in the rest of the ice. "This tastes horrible. I could eat it, providing I don't collapse of a stomach ache half way through."

"We'll find another way," Gray assured her. The Dragon Slayer smiled with relief.

"Huh, somebody beat us to it. Bummer."

There was a thunk in the distance. The guild mates turned and saw a trio of odd-looking men. "They're heavy on girls and kids," one guy snickered.

"DUUN DUUN!" Another guy cheered.

Glaring, Nicole shifted her stance, holding up a fist. "Dare you to repeat that."

"We're the treasure hunting guild!" They announced proudly. "Sylph Labyrinth!"

"Duun!" The odd guy cheered.

There was a long pause. Awkwardly, the group repeated, but Erza called, "We heard you the first time."

"We're here for the heavy S-class treasure, the flame!" One guy called.

The banter continued. The trio was from a treasure hunting guild, looking for the so-called sacred eternal flame that the village protected. Nicole and Lucy were sweat-dropping at the trio's lack of maturity. Then one man produced a vial. "We've got moon drip!" He announced. "We can unfreeze the flame!"

A spark lit in Natsu's empty head. "If we get that, we can save the village!"

"CHARGE!"

The group rushed onward, pursuing the trio and escaping men. Erza remained at the village to investigate. But the five wizards finally cornered the three in a clearing- or, the _two _in the clearing. One of them had vanished.

Clenching his fists, Natsu let out a battle roar and leaped at one of the men, who produced a long staff with a hand on it that absorbed all of Natsu's blow. Gray dodged the swing of one man's blade by a narrow margin. Wendy shoved Lucy out of the way before she could get hit by the sniper's bullet.

"These guys," Natsu huffed, "Will be harder to defeat than we thought!"

**Nicole's POV**

Frustrated, I ground my teeth together. Then I suddenly remembered my eye thingy. Glaring down the man with the changing sword, eventually he stared back at me. "What do you want?"

And so I twitched my eyes.

"What the hell was that?" He snarled. Then he blinked rapidly, as it was the only movement he could do. "I'm stuck! What did you do, witch?"

The huge-headed man with the hand-staff peered over. Big mistake. I twitched my eyes at him and he stilled. Standing triumphantly, I marched over and snatched the vial from the man's pocket. "Okay, we're set to go now."

Everyone cheered happily. And we completely forgot the man with the sniper.

I saw something hurtling towards me in my peripheral vision and moved to my right, but not quick enough. A bullet that would've hit my between the eyes kissed my shoulder before pounding to the ground.

Crying out, I fell backwards, my spell on the other two men broken. The vial slipped from my grasp.

"I've got it!" Happy cheered, lunging for the bottle.

The bottle crashed to the ground in front of his paws, spilling the precious moon drip over the soil.

I heard my group crying out, in despair that the bottle was gone and fear for me. I winced as blood leaked out of the small bullet hole on my shoulder. "Ow! Ah, god, it kills." I bit my lip and started shrugging off my jacket, wincing at the pain that came with it."

"Oh my god, Nicole!" Gray, Lucy, and Wendy knelt down next to me. Wendy immediately focused her healing magic over my shoulder and I loosened up, feeling better. I heard a yell and explosion and I was pretty sure Natsu had dealt with the other two. Lucy assured my Loke had gotten the sniper.

I struggled to sit up. "Okay, that's better." I puffed my cheeks. "Thanks, Wendy. Sorry guys."

"It wasn't your fault," Gray said, lending me a hand.

"Yeah," Lucy added. "The sniper could've nailed you between the eyes. I'm glad you're alive!"

"Me too," I said drowsily, earning a small laugh.

Natsu started jogging. "Come on, let's get back to the village. We can figure out some other way to unfreeze it. C'mon!"

"Can you walk?" Gray asked.

I fixed him a weird look. "Did I get hit in the leg? No. I walk."

"You and your sarcasm."

"I try."

**Enjoy? Yes? No?**


	54. VALENTINE'S SPECIAL :)

**Because you can't have a Holiday Special and not a Valentine's one XD**

**Beware of fluffiness, flying cake, brawls, and a bit too many hearts. Read with caution!  
**

**Sorry this is a bit late, but I was busy yesterday, and I already updated, so I figured you wouldn't mind the extra chapter. Love y'all XD**

**HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!**

"Wake up!" Lucy grabbed Nicole's shoulder and shook it aggressively. "Nicooooole, wake up!"

"Ten more minutes," Nicole grumbled in response, pulling the blanket up over her head.

Lucy pouted. "Nicole, you wanted me to wake you up, remember? It's Valentine's Day!"

At these words Nicole shot up from the couch and screamed to the roof, "HOLY CRAP!"

"What?" Lucy cried in bewilderment. "What's wrong with Valentine's Day?" The Celestial mage crossed her arms over her chest.

Nicole sighed dramatically. "Valentine's Day is stupid, and it's only purpose is to remind people who are single, WHY they are single, and then torture them through watching other happy couples _make out at romantic restaurants!"_

Lucy giggled. "Why'd you ask me to wake you up, then?"

"I do that every day," Nicole reminded her. "As much as I like my sleep I like the guild even more." She slipped off her ratty t-shirt and threw on a black tank top and blue jacket. "So," she said absently. "You get anything for Natsu?"

"WHAT?!" Lucy screeched. "No way! Why would I do that? It's not like, well, we're DATING or anything, because we're not, so don't think we are, and-"

"I get it," Nicole interrupted, tying off the elastic in her hair.

Lucy pouted before smirking as she turned the tables. "So, what're you doing for Gray?"

"Nothing!" Nicole defended quickly. "Why would I do anything?"

"Because you liked him," Lucy offered.

Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, I don't."

"No use denying it!"

"_I don't."_

"Yes you do!"

"No!"

"You tried writing him a letter for Valentine's Day!"

"WHAT?! How'd you get that?"

"I saw you writing."

"Wow..."

"You like him!"

"No way!"

"Yes you do!

"Nope!"

"..."

"...Okay, maybe a bit."

"I KNEW IT!" There was a crash and Mirajane burst out of Lucy's bathroom, dressed in her pink and lighter pink dress with her bangs pinned to the top of her head. She had a wild look in her eyes and she was clutching a stack of paper hearts in one hand. She pumped a fist in the air in a very untypical Mira moment. "Oh, I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Did you know she was here?" Nicole gasped, jaw dropping. But Lucy shook her head quickly.

"Honestly, I had no clue." She sighed and turned to Mira. "Why are you in my house?"

"Just finding out the daily crushes, because it's _Lover's Day!" _she squealed. "And so Lucy likes Natsu!"

Lucy blushed red and frantically waved her arms in defense. "No way!"

"Perfect~" Mira trilled. "I've already got Freed roped into something. Today's going to make up for the horrible vacation trip!" She opened the door to Lucy's apartment, waved, and left with a slam of the door.

There was a long silence. "Never mind," Nicole said eventually, "I'm going back to bed."

*****:::~~~...**

It is safe to say Nicole did NOT stay in bed the whole day. Lucy said that if she suffered, Nicole did too, and ended up dragging an unhappy and tired Nicole to the guild hall, where Mira had already decorated the place with red, pink, and white hearts, pink streamers, and... pink everything. Nicole gagged, ordered a soda (where she got a pink straw!) and sat down at a nearby table, joined by Natsu, Erza, Lucy, Wendy, and to her discomfort, Gray.

"Apparently Mira-san has got a couples' thing planned," Wendy said quietly. "She can be quite scary sometimes."

Erza stabbed a piece of her strawberry shortcake and popped it in her mouth. "Indeed, as can I." An evil red aura surrounded Erza as she glared heavily at Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and Nicole. "You will ALL obey ALL of Mira's instructions, understand?"

"Yes, Erza!" everyone squeaked. Nicole was inwardly seething and dying of nerves.

The day went on with fear in everyone's hearts. However, Mira made no move to do anything at all, which scared everyone even more. Bisca and Alzack were out for some romantic day but other than that, it was a typical day in Fairy Tail. Natsu started a brawl again for some unknown reason.

Dinner time was when it got crazy.

**...~~~:::*****

"All right!" Mira cheered. As soon as everyone heard her words, people grimaced, whispered, "it's starting," and some cases, people dived under chairs. Natsu tried to jump out the window but ultimately was stopped by Erza. Mira was flanked by Laki and Freed.

Mira smiled abnormally cheerfully. "Now, do as I say and nobody gets hurt! Girls on that side, boys on that side!" She gestured to different sides of the room. Grumbling, people took their places. Mira next gestured to Laki. "Do your thing!"

Laki shouted some of her 'Wood Make' words, and two strong wooden walls appeared- one directly in front of the boys, and one in front of the girls. The last thing Nicole saw with Laxus's disgruntled face.

Mira snapped her fingers and fancy decor appeared on the walls- white banners, hearts, pink streamers, Valentine's crap, Nicole thought.

Freed shouted a number of enchantments and soon purple runes surrounded the inside of the walls. Several doors appeared along the walls, making it look like fancy wooden hotel rooms. Names carved in cursive appeared on the doors. "Find the door that matches your name," Mira explained, "Go inside... OR ELSE."

Surprisingly Nicole was the first to move, scanning the doors for her name. It was the third one from the left. Sighing to herself and cursing Mira, she opened the door and entered the room.

There was a small room and another door. The walls were lined with racks of... dresses. There was a piece of pink (Nicole sighed) paper that Mira had scribbled on.

_Pick a dress, girls! Every time someone picks one, it vanishes from the other girls' racks!_

Before Nicole could comprehend what it meant, a long, hot pink dress vanished from the rack in front of her. Cringing, Nicole zoomed through the racks like there was no tomorrow. A short orange one vanished, another pink one, and a red one vanished. Not liking any of them except one, the Dragon Slayer grabbed for the dress before any one else could.

Slipping it on, Nicole looked at the convenient full-length mirror. It was a black dress that reached mid-thigh and had thin spaghetti straps. A red belt was wrapped around the waist. Nicole slipped on the matching shoes (with a fricking three inch heel) that had a belt buckle across with a red heart. Wobbling, she made her way to the second door, trying to read the runes Mira had set.

'A person bearing the Fairy Tail guild mark may not leave this area without Mirajane Strauss' approval.'

Nicole cursed loudly.

*****:::~~~...**

Hand shaking, Nicole opened the second door.

There was indeed a third door. But when Nicole tried it, it was locked. A small table with a white table cloth stood in the center of the room with candles lighting the dim room. Nicole was under the impression this was supposed to turn out like a romantic dinner of sorts, but with who?

Wanting to go back to her room, the Ice Dragon Slayer tried to open the door and found it was locked. Cursing silently, she turned in a circle. There was another inscription on the far wall. Squinting, Nicole struggled to read.

_Girls and guys, I've put you up for a romantic dinner!~ You can only leave with my say-so, and you know what that means! Trust me, you'll thank me later. Love, Mira~_

Nicole ran a finger along the words when the other door creaked open.

And typically, it was Gray.

He was wearing a black tuxedo with a red tie, undoubtedly Mira's handiwork. He hair was ruffled and he looked uncomfortable. "Oh, god."

Teasingly, and surprising herself, Nicole smirked. "Wow, I feel so loved."

"That's not what I meant," he protested, "It's just that Mira's overdoing it again."

Nicole nodded. "Like always."

"You look great," Gray stammered quickly. Wanting to avoid any further embarrassment, he turned away and looked at the ground.

Nicole smiled softly. "You look fine too."

Smiling gratefully at her attempt to make this anything but awkward, Gray pulled out the seats and they both sat down. As soon as they did, a large red booklet appeared, which Nicole caught. "Ooh, it's a menu." She handed it to her partner.

"Let me see." Gray flipped through the pages. "Dammit, Mira." He threw it over his shoulder. "Three things, 'romantic plate of noodles,' 'romantic plate of chicken wings,' and 'romantic plate of pizza.' She's not so good at this romantic meal stuff, is she?"

"Don't say that!" Nicole squeaked desperately. "We need her approval to get out of here." She crossed her arms. "That, and I like chicken wings."

He smirked at her. "Chicken wings it is."

A couple minutes later, Freed appeared through Gray's door, dressed in a waiter's outfit. "Mira heard you order, she sees all, knows all." He sighed, obviously having to have rehearsed that. "Here." He produced a plate of chicken wings onto the table, with fries. "Enjoy."

As soon as he left, Nicole cackled. "In a second, Mira's going to realize how un-romantic this actually is." When Gray cocked an eyebrow she grinned sheepishly. "I'm a messy eater."

Gray laughed. "You can't be any worse than Natsu." Unable to stand it any more, Nicole tossed her silver ware over her shoulder (she heard Mira's loud sob at lack of manners with her hearing) and began gobbling up the wings.

**...~~~:::*****

"Okay," Gray finished, "maybe you are as bad as Natsu."

Nicole smiled sheepishly as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. Nicole had devoured the food like there was no tomorrow, saying she was 'just a bit hungry' and then downed four of her favourite soda. Gray shook his head while smirking.

A few minutes after they had finished Freed had taken their plate and then romantic music had filled the guild. Assuming everyone else was done and Mira wanted them to dance, Gray stood up and offered his hand. "You want to dance?"

"I'd love to," she said, beaming. Gently taking his hand, they stood up, and the table magically vanished with a puff of sparkles. Nicole rolled her eyes and Gray grinned, gently putting an arm on the girl's waist.

Nicole nervously gripped his hand tightly and found his shoulder with her other. "I can't dance. You lead."

"Sure."

And so they twirled around the dance floor.

Nicole and Gray's faces were beet red, but they still smiled awkwardly and continued moving. _Left, right, left, spin. Right, right, left, right, left, spin._

Moving slowly, Gray dipped Nicole backwards. Giggling, the mage leaned backwards and then forwards again, righting herself. They continued dancing, slowly decreasing the space between them, the tension they had experienced before long forgotten.

And then Mira ruined it all.

A white sheet of rumpled paper Nicole recognized slid from under her door. She stopped dancing and paled. "What is it?" The Ice-Make mage asked with curiousity before he looked at his own door, and saw a clean white sheet of paper.

And then a pink heart slid through the crack under Nicole's door, and one under Gray's.

The pair broke apart and headed for the papers, Nicole already knowing what this would be. Hands shaking, she picked up the heart.

_Give him this, and depending on reactions I might let you go. Have a Happy Valentine's Day, sweetie!~_

Nicole cursed again, quietly.

The rumpled piece of paper was something she had thrown into Lucy's scrap drawer yesterday night. How'd Mira get it? It was a letter she was trying to write to Gray about Valentine's Day.

"Shit."

Gray was experiencing equal difficulties. His heart he had gotten read the same thing, and the paper he had gotten with it was something he had left at home that he had meant to give to Nicole later in the night, when the ruckus from the guild had died down. A letter.

"Crap," he said quietly. He slowly turned around and saw Nicole's red face, her shaking hands gripping a sheet of paper. "I was going to give you this later, but now will do." He thrust out the sheet of paper quickly and she slowly- _achingly- _took the letter.

She fumbled with her own. "I, uh, have one too." She giggled nervously. "Mira went a bit overboard. Sorry if it's..." She shook her head, trailed off, and started to read the letter.

Gray studied Nicole's neat scrawl and began to read.

_Gray._

_Where to begin? When I first joined I knew nobody, trusted nobody at first, and this place that I love now became the first place to call a real home. Lucy found me first. Then I fought Natsu, I remember vividly. And then I set off to training with you. I remember opening up to you on the couch in Lucy's living room, I remember training in Hakobe and munching on icicles, I remember whacking Sterling over the nose with ice. You were the first to know my secret. I'd have it no other way- you took the risks even if I warned you it could kill you. It almost did._

_We've grown together so much- I can now do things I would've collapsed doing on day two. I've unlocked Dragon Force, can scale a mountain, and have an unlimited supply of my favourite snack. We've fought together, you've died on me, but the memories I have now will always be perfect. I regret nothing._

_Well, almost nothing._

_I've grown so fond of you and I would have it no other way. Thank you so much, for teaching me, working with me, talking with me, and being one of the best friends I've ever had, and maybe more, someday._

_Love, Nicole_

Meanwhile Nicole was straining herself to read the note Gray had written for her in a slightly slanted but readable scrawl.

_You're weird. That's a weird way to start a letter, but a weird beginning for a weird person, right? The journey I've been on with you and the rest of Fairy Tail has been an unforgettable one, where we learn something new and make new jokes every time. Training with you on Hakobe definitely let you relax a bit more- you seemed uncomfortable and closed when you first came. It's neat knowing I was the first person you told- I put so much trust in you and vice versa, I hope._

_You are definitely the most stubborn person I know, next to Natsu, and you're feisty and quick. It's really cute when you get embarrassed, which you seem to do a lot. I'm really glad you're a part of Fairy Tail, Nicole. I'm glad I got to know you. I really hope I get to know more about you in the future._

_Gray_

"Oh my god," Nicole whispered under her breath. She carefully folded the page and creased it tightly. _What does this mean? Does he feel the same way I do? Mira's going to die tomorrow, I swear. I know I was a bit bold on the last sentence but-_

Gray knitted his eyebrows together and set the paper face-down on the floor. He had no clue she felt that way. (That's just how oblivious boys are) He turned around and he saw a surprising sight, the Ice Dragon Slayer had her chin tucked to her chest, tucked her arms under her chest, and was as red as Erza's hair. Gray smirked, finding it cute, and quickly walked over to her.

"Sorry," she said quickly, her voice quiet. "Stupid of me, I should just..."

"Do nothing about it?" he offered. She blinked at the floor, then slowly tilted her head up, smiling sheepishly.

Nicole rubbed her arms. "Thanks for the letter."

"You too."

Knowing the moment could not have been more perfect (they had both completely forgotten Mira was watching) Gray leaned down and wrapped his arms around the girl in front of him before he planted his lips on hers.

Nicole could hear Mira's squeal with her enhanced hearing but she didn't care for it. It was like Gray was trying to pour all of his emotion and soul into one, simple gesture that made Nicole's heart melt in her chest. Slightly scared but knowing it would be fine, Nicole slowly started to return the gesture. Tucking her arms in to Gray's chest she kissed back, his lips surprisingly warm. Their mouths fit together perfectly, the moment was perfect. Everything felt safe... and right. Nicole smiled against Gray's lips, knowing this was the happiest moment of her life. Her first kiss could've never been more perfect.

Then they broke apart, both blushing awkwardly.

The entire wall around them fell away, showing Mira was more than pleased, and Nicole grinned up at Gray. "Thanks."

"Thank _you. _Can I walk you home?"

"Any day."

The two left the guild, laughing and joking loudly, as if that kiss had never happened. But Mira was ecstatic. She twirled in a circle, ignoring the video screens for a brief second. "Oh, I knew this would be better than the vacation."


	55. Sun Village: Blood & Chaos

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**Chapter 55: Sun Village: Blood &amp; Chaos**

**Nicole's POV**

Upon further investigation we realized the moon drip only melted a small section of the ice. Natsu heard a voice sounding through the ice and took off. Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Gray, and I all tried to keep up but we ended up separated.

So naturally, I found myself lost and stumbling into a portion of the village. Gazing around, I saw no living being in sight (with the exception of the frozen giants) and continued walking through the village.

Suddenly a particular scent invaded my nose.

"Minerva," I growled under my breath, taking off in the direction of the smell.

I found her in a clearing, with a kiddie Erza. Erza had only her tank top on and was holding a sword, but the tank top fell to her legs. Minerva was kicking her around. "STOOOOOP IT!" I hollered, launching myself at Minerva. She turned only in time to see me tackle her to the ground.

Spitting, she scooted backwards and struggled to her feet. "Nicole Emereon!"

"Minerva Orlando," I said sarcastically, helping Erza to her feet.

Erza rubbed the back of her head. "Thank you."

"Any time," I responded, narrowing my eyes at the scowling Minerva.

"With her as a liability," Minerva snarled, "I'll beat you in no time flat."

I smirked. "We'll see about that." I looked down at Erza, the obvious question playing at my lips. "Why are you a kid?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure."

I shrugged back. "Eh. We'll figure it out."

She nodded as Minerva sprung, hands stretched outwards like she was going to claw our eyeballs out. I grabbed Erza's wrists and tugged her to the side, then as Minerva sailed by us, _swung Erza around by the wrists _and her feet sailed into Minerva's head.

Another ugly smell entered the air. It was dark and sickening. "Something's wrong."

Minerva sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Doriate may or may not beat up a comrade of yours in a moment or two."

"Doriate?" Erza questioned. I gritted my teeth. She patted my leg. "Go ahead. You'll be more of a help than me at the moment."

"You sure?" I asked, already running off. She nodded and pulled out a sword, which was the last I saw of her before I took off.

Pacing myself, I scrambled up a ledge and the smell became even stronger, mixing in with Gray's. I ran even faster, with my side cramping up, and finally burst out of the trees to see...

There was a huge man with a weird jaw hovering over a younger Gray. Gray's pants were the only thing he was wearing, as his clothing had fallen away, and he was grabbing the sides of his head and quivering. "Noooooo," he moaned. "Memories! Make them go away!"

"Gray!" I screamed, running into the clearing, exposing myself to the new foe. "Get a hold of yourself!"

He turned, and the sight almost killed me inside. His eyes had a look of pure terror. Tears dotted the corners of his eyes, and he was shaking uncontrollably. "Nicole?"

"Gray!" I called again. He stopped shaking.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that the weird man turned to me and a pulse of magic swept over me.

I felt myself shrinking.

I was a kid again. My hair was still up, but hanging looser, the bracelet Gray had given to me was slipping off my wrist, but worse of all my clothes were dropping.

Unfortunately today I decided to wear a black tank top (typical) and ice blue jacket (typical) and (untypical) jean shorts. With my sudden decrease in size my shorts began slipping from my waist. I squealed and hoisted them up with one hand, my jacket shed behind me and my tank top loosely hanging over my shoulders. My shoes were suddenly five sizes too small and I stepped out of them, one hand on my jean shorts and the other clutching my opposite wrist, holding my bracelet in place.

"Oh my god!" I squealed childishly. "This can NOT be happening!"

Gray wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. "That was pathetic. Thanks Nicole. I'm good now." Then he smirked at me. "You look cute."

My cheeks flared. "NOT a good time!"

The man laughed- Doriate?- and extended his palm. "I'll defeat you both easily now."

"How," I asked, "Am I supposed to fight _and hold up my jeans at the same time?!"_

"Well," Gray smirked, "You could always let them go-"

"YOU'RE PERVY EVEN WHEN YOU'RE A KID!" I screeched, my voice surprisingly loud for my body, as I pounded my tiny fists on his head. He yelled in pain and I finally stopped, puffing my cheeks. I remembered what Erza was wearing and carefully slid off my jeans shorts, my tank top fitting my like a dress.

Gray smiled his goofy smile. "See? You take my advice." Blushing, I picked up my jacket and pulled it on, zipping it up so it covered the tank top, then rolling up the sleeves.

"Why you-"

"ROARRRR!" Doriate got tired of waiting and lunged. Suddenly scared, I lunged to the side and he barreled past me (and thankfully Gray) before turning and snarling again. He lunged again, his arms spread wide to catch us, and I tried to jump, but my little legs didn't take me far. Gray was caught in his other hand. As he lifted us up into the sunlight, he turned, as to not be blinded by the sun. Gray concentrated for a second, I noticed, before paying full attention to breaking out of Doraite's iron grip around his neck.

I squirmed and kicked feebly but nothing worked. Thinking, I bit down on his hand with all the strength I could muster and he howled, letting go of me. Gray tried the same thing and got the same result. We both turned and faced Doriate.

Then he fell.

Gray had made an ice ledge under him that he hadn't even noticed and it shattered under his weight, sending the enemy falling to the fate of pricking his butt on the frozen grass. Gray and I high-fived, my bracelet sliding down to my shoulder.

The fight continued. Gray made false floors for Doriate, and I used the bracelet he gave me to fight- I produced the icy staff, which was five times too big for me, and whacked Doriate several times over the head. With Gray's imagination his Ice Maker magic was the key advantage; soon we came to the conclusion it was not this man who froze the village.

"Hey," Gray noted, "I'm not a kid anymore." I saw him and he was right. He was full sized and as nice as ever.

"Me too!" I squealed happily. Then I remembered my clothing situation.

_I had no pants on._

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screeched loudly, squatting down and backing up against a frozen tree. _"This can't be happening!"_

I hugged my knees to my chest. Gray was blushing beet red and I wondered if... if he saw anything. He turned away and gazed around the sky. "Um, sorry, I..."

Doriate let out a fearsome roar and his whole body convulsed. Shaking, he grew to twice his size. Gray and I both screamed and he ran backwards, I stayed where I was. And then suddenly we were kids again. Slightly relieved, I stood up again and drew my fists.

"Damn it," Gray cursed. He held out his hands and tried to freeze the giant's feet to the floor, but no avail. I tried whacking him again but the pole almost shattered on impact. "What do we do?"

I frowned. "It's weird. He was hurt on the frozen spikes- tiny blades of grass he normally should've been able to break instantly- but when you pulled an ice hammer on him-" "That was tiny," he muttered- "He didn't seem fazed."

Gray came to a conclusion. "My ice doesn't affect him. Neither does yours, that's why the hits have no effect. But the village ice does."

We both leaped to the side as a large fist rained down on us. I covered my head as we shattered some ice and the shards rained everywhere. "Ow!"

Gray scrambled to his feet beside me. "Are you okay?" But we were cut short when he reach forward and grabbed me around the waist, my tiny figure fitting easily in his hand.

"AAAAA!" I screamed and twisted, but my hands were pinned by my sides and my squirming was no match for his iron grip. He seemed to grin, I couldn't tell, but then Gray fixed his jaw and lunged onto the arm that was holding me. I coughed. "Gray, get off!"

"Let her go!" He yelled fiercely. But Doriate knocked him off like a fly. Frustrated, I saw Gray out of the corner of my eye place a palm on the ice.

Doriate's grip was getting tighter and tighter. It felt like I was going to pass out. Then there was a yell and a huge burst of energy, and suddenly, the beast dropped me and fell back. I was full size again, and so was Gray, and he was panting and had his hand outstretched like he had pushed the giant. Realizing my lack of clothing, I tucked my knees up again.

"Don't you dare look," I warned, as red as Erza's hair. Gray blushed but looked away.

Then an idea occurred to me. "How did I not think of this before? DRAGON FORCE!"

In a flash of blue light I was decked out in my ice blue kimono and my hair was blue, my feet were bare. Smiling, I stood up. Gray was already looking over. I walked up to him, beaming, and wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you for saving me. Like always."

He squeezed tight and then let go. "Let's just say you owe me one-"

We both turned at the sound of a sudden crash. Happy and Carla were running through the woods towards us, pursued by a one-eyed creature of large size, four times bigger than the opponent we just faced. Realizing the danger before me, Gray grabbed my wrist and tugged sharply, and we both hurried away from the thing chasing us with the exceeds by our side.

*****:::~~~...**

Gray said he needed to save his magic energy (between breaths) to melt the village, because he thought he could pass the ice through his body. Nodding, I turned backwards and screeched, "ICE DRAGON ROAR!" and we gained several feet on the creature. Not to mention I spotted my jean shorts on the way and picked them up, where they vanished, like my magic knew they were part of my outfit. I caught up to Gray.

We broke out of the trees into the village, where our Fairy Tail team was waiting. I saw Lucy and Wendy pale as the creature came into view. Gray shouted to them that he could melt the ice, and Natsu gave us high-fives as we passed through. I turned to line up with Natsu.

"Ice Dragon Frozen Fist!"

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

Both our fists sent the creature spiraling backwards. Lucy flashed me a thumbs up. I saw Erza and noticed she was back to normal, like us.

"Ice Dragon Wing Attack!" I slashed an arm out, and the creature retaliated by pulling out a wing, which Natsu slashed at.

I let loose another funnel of ice and wind and then I got a weird feeling. It was like that feeling for blood lust I got facing Minerva. I halted in my pace and the thing hit me back into a giant's leg. Coughing, I tried to stand, but the feeling was overwhelming me and I crouched back down.

I heard shouts and the presence of ice vanished, so I thought Gray had did it. That made me relax a bit. But the feeling _would not go. _It was that feeling that made me thirst for blood, made me want to destroy everything in sight. I tried to suppress it but the more I tried, the more the feeling pressured me.

_Blood._

_Destruction._

_CHAOS._

I screamed loudly and felt a hand on my back, instinctively I swatted it off. I didn't know who it was- Gray? Lucy? Wendy? but I screamed again, trying to relax.

And then, just like that, the feeling went away. My breathing slowed. My eyes cleared. I stared up as the blurry figures I saw started to come into focus. Gray and Lucy. "W-What?..."

"Nicole, are you okay?" Lucy said worriedly, bending down. "You were shaking, screaming..." she swallowed. "And your hair was turning red."

It was exactly as I feared. I shook my head quickly. "I... I'm fine."

"Nicole..." Gray gave me his arm and pulled me to my feet. "You're fine now. I thought you could control that."

I shook my head. "It came on all of a sudden." He stared at me questioningly, unbelieving, and I growled at him. "What? It did!"

"Whoa," he said, "Calm down."

I sighed. "Sorry." _What is going on with me? I wish I knew..._


	56. Tartaros: Knowing Your Enemy

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_**Previously:**_

_Gray said he needed to save his magic energy (between breaths) to melt the village, because he thought he could pass the ice through his body. Nodding, I turned backwards and screeched, "ICE DRAGON ROAR!" and we gained several feet on the creature. Not to mention I spotted my jean shorts on the way and picked them up, where they vanished, like my magic knew they were part of my outfit. I caught up to Gray._

_We broke out of the trees into the village, where our Fairy Tail team was waiting. I saw Lucy and Wendy pale as the creature came into view. Gray shouted to them that he could melt the ice, and Natsu gave us high-fives as we passed through. I turned to line up with Natsu._

_"Ice Dragon Frozen Fist!"_

_"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"_

_Both our fists sent the creature spiraling backwards. Lucy flashed me a thumbs up. I saw Erza and noticed she was back to normal, like us._

_"Ice Dragon Wing Attack!" I slashed an arm out, and the creature retaliated by pulling out a wing, which Natsu slashed at._

_I let loose another funnel of ice and wind and then I got a weird feeling. It was like that feeling for blood lust I got facing Minerva. I halted in my pace and the thing hit me back into a giant's leg. Coughing, I tried to stand, but the feeling was overwhelming me and I crouched back down._

_I heard shouts and the presence of ice vanished, so I thought Gray had did it. That made me relax a bit. But the feeling would not go. It was that feeling that made me thirst for blood, made me want to destroy everything in sight. I tried to suppress it but the more I tried, the more the feeling pressured me._

_Blood._

_Destruction._

_CHAOS._

_I screamed loudly and felt a hand on my back, instinctively I swatted it off. I didn't know who it was- Gray? Lucy? Wendy? but I screamed again, trying to relax._

_And then, just like that, the feeling went away. My breathing slowed. My eyes cleared. I stared up as the blurry figures I saw started to come into focus. Gray and Lucy. "W-What?..."_

_"Nicole, are you okay?" Lucy said worriedly, bending down. "You were shaking, screaming..." she swallowed. "And your hair was turning red."_

_It was exactly as I feared. I shook my head quickly. "I... I'm fine."_

_"Nicole..." Gray gave me his arm and pulled me to my feet. "You're fine now. I thought you could control that."_

_I shook my head. "It came on all of a sudden." He stared at me questioningly, unbelieving, and I growled at him. "What? It did!"_

_"Whoa," he said, "Calm down."_

_I sighed. "Sorry." _What is going on with me? I wish I knew...

**Chapter 56: Tartaros: Knowing Your Enemy**

**Nicole's POV**

It was Atlas Flame.

Atlas Flame was the mysterious source of power that kept the village alive and prospering. The giants all melted. Flare Corona was there, and I didn't trust her in the slightest, but if Lucy forgave her I guess I could try too. We stayed up partying all night and into the morning with the large beings and Flare, and I was having more fun than I've had in a while. In the morning, we left for Warrod's house to collect our reward.

Our reward was a soak in a large, relaxing sauna.

Lucy and Erza were overjoyed. I, on the other hand, was not. Wrapping a towel tightly around myself, I inched my way towards the sauna where a naked Lucy, Erza, and Wendy were already relaxing. "Come on, Nicole!" Lucy encouraged. "It's so nice in here!"

I slowly inched myself in, and I admit, it was heavenly. "This is soooooooo nice," I moaned, sliding down further into the water until my shoulders and head were all that was visible.

Wendy nodded in agreement. "I wonder where the boys are?"

"Here."

Blushing beet red, I slowly turned around and saw a very naked Gray and Natsu in the far corner of the sauna, arms sitting on top of rocks, staring at us.

Gray was blushing.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I screeched at the top of my lungs, splashing away and ducking behind a rock so I was peering over at the boys. "Perverts!"

"We're using the same sauna as you guys!" Natsu protested. "And we were here first!"

"Besides," Gray added, "We've already seen you guys naked before. Getting kinda stale."

My face turned as red as Erza's hair. Gray looked over at me and blushed. "Well, not all of you."

"Did I forget to mention this is a mixed sauna?" Warrod chuckled cheerfully as he too sunk into the waters.

Wendy squirmed and sunk lower into Lucy's chest, who was shielding herself and Wendy from the perverted stares of the boys. Erza, however, surprised me and stood up and marched over to the boys. "We used to take bathes together as children. Natsu, wash my back, like we used to."

I gawked at the thought of the horrid and awkward childhood these people had.

*****:::~~~...**

"There was an explosion at the council," Makarov said gravely. "Everyone is dead."

It had been no more than a day since our return to the guild after our quest, and this bit of news wasn't exactly comforting. There was a long, hollow silence where not even Natsu spoke a word.

"And," the Master added, "Bickslow, Evergreen, Freed, and Laxus were attacked doing a job for Yajima and it is unknown whether they were survive." Porlyusica was nodding in the background.

Now _this _created an uproar. "THAT'S BULL!" Natsu hollered, leaping on the table. "Who'd want to attack all those people? TARTAROS! Gramps, we can't let them get away with this!..."

Makarov sighed. "Tartaros. The last part of the Balam Alliance. The Oracion Seis and Grimiore Heart were a part of it too. We have to protect these council members, former and present, because Tartaros is targeting them for whatever reason." He stared ahead defiantly. "We have no clue where others may be."

"I can help with that." Loke the Lion stepped forward in his fancy black suit. "I know where many of them reside."

The guild let out a hearty cheer and Makarov starting assigning groups. "Lucy, Wendy, Natsu, Happy and Carla! Go to Elder Michello. Gajeel, Levy, Jet, and Droy, Elder Belno. Lisanna and Elfman, Elder Yuri. Gray and Nicole, Elder Hogg. Hurry! Lives may depend on it!"

Cheering in the chaos, people immediately spread out to find their groups. I searched for Gray in the crowd and I found him and he gripped my wrist. "I know you hate transportation, but the fastest way there is by cow."

I threw up a bit in my mouth (gross) and swallowed it down and nodded. "Fine." He smirked and started dragging me out of the chaos.

Lucky me.

**...~~~:::*****

We finally made it to empty town, me holding down my lunch the whole way. When we arrived the town was in a wreck- remains of houses and horrifyingly, people, lay across the town, and it was hard to look and find my way to Elder Hogg's house.

It was just as bad when we arrived. The poor man was dead and his house ransacked. I felt like I was going to cry. I raised a hand to my mouth and choked down a sob. I didn't even know the guy- but so many people were dying for unknown reasons. Gray wrapped his hands around my back and squeezed. "Let's contact the guild."

I nodded hazily, as if in a trance, and shakily pulled the crystal orb out of my bag. Makarov's solemn face appeared, anxious and despaired. "_Well?"_

"He's dead," Gray replied shortly.

I nodded to the lacrima, where I saw the distressed faces of Juvia, Cana, and the Master. "The town is completely destroyed. It's horrible..."

Juvia sighed. "Gray-sama, please be okay and don't get into trouble with Love Rival!"

We both sweat-dropped and I'm pretty sure Cana did too. "Head back to the guild," I heard Makarov say before communication shut off. Gray nodded at me and we trudged back to our cow.

I hoisted myself up on the cow, legs tightly clenching the sides and hands wrapped tightly around Gray's waist. Holding my stomach down, I held my cheek against him back. "Gray?" I whispered. "You're warm."

I felt him smile and put his hand over my own. "You too."

"If we're facing people that can do that to a town..." I trailed off. "Even Natsu couldn't do that- actually, scratch that, he probably could."

Gray chuckled. "We're a team. We work together." He paused. "I'm with you."

I blushed against his back and we rode in a comfortable silence. My thoughts were spinning at a million miles an hour. One question popped into my mind I didn't have an answer for.

_Why are we having such a difficult time locating council members, and Tartaros isn't?_

*****:::~~~...**

We had literally just gotten off the bull and landed on the beautiful, sweet ground when Mira and Erza blew past us on a steed of their own. The wind from their steed flipped my hair and I watched as they rode off. Gray and I made our way into the guild, people shaking their heads and conducting research on locations of other members.

"Mira and Erza just went off to protect the chair man," Master Makarov explained as Juvia tried to throw herself at Gray. To my relief, he twisted and she spiraled past him.

I nodded slowly. Then the communications lacrima buzzed to life and we all were peering at the face of Lucy. She was coughing wildly. "We're okay! Elder Michello is okay! We took down a member of Tartaros."

Gramps nodded, satisfied. Natsu cheered from the background, "I won!" and I giggled. It must have been tough.

Elder Michello preceded to explain everything he knew about the council's ultimate weapon- Face, a magic pulse bomb meant to wipe out all the magic on the continent. To top it off, apparently Tartaros used curses, so they could use their powers while we'd be helpless.

And then realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

_Mira and Erza had gone to find someone who would know everything we needed to know, including keys to Face._

_He's a high priority target._

_And..._

"NOOOOOO!" I screeched, slamming my hands on the table and standing up suddenly. Everyone stared at me and I stared at the lacrima. "Natsu! NATSU!"

He sat up shakily and I saw he was coming to the same conclusion I did. He grabbed the front of the Elder's shirt and shook him frantically. _"Where's the former chairman?!"_

"PANTHER LILY!" I screamed, gesturing wildly to the exceed. "Hurry!" The confused exceed didn't question me as he turned into his mini form and wings sprouted from his back.

A thousand questions sprouted at once. "Where are you going?" Gray called loudly, trying to grab for me.

But I was already at the guild exit. I turned back and everyone stared at me in shocked silence. "Panther Lily, get ready to fly," I whispered. I raised my voice. "Protect the other council members."

"Nicole!" Gray grabbed my wrist. Gajeel was advancing on me, snarling. "Where are you going?"

I glared. "Why do you think Tartaros knows exactly where everyone is and we don't?"

With that being said I turned and jumped, Panther Lily catching me in the air. "They've got a spy!" I hollered back. "Someone high up! Natsu and I will go help Mira and Erza! Get council members! Gajeel, I'll bring your cat back!"

My voice was out of shouting range and I watched the forms of Gajeel and Gray turn into small dots. I turned forward again. "Panther Lily, go as fast as you can possibly go."

"That was extremely smart of you for figuring that out," he remarked, accepting the thanks.

I smiled.

"Know your enemy."

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	57. Tartaros: Silver

**Welcome to the next chapter of Secrets Can Kill! I hope you're enjoying the story :)**

**Enjoy this chapter- it was kind of a last minute thing to throw together. I'm loving this arc and this story. I hope everyone knows the gist of the Tartaros arc, and those who don't, please try your best to follow along. I'll explain a few things along the way.**

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**Xander Smallfrost or Frosty: The spy is the former chairman!**

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_**Previously:**_

_And then realization hit me like a ton of bricks._

Mira and Erza had gone to find someone who would know everything we needed to know, including keys to Face.

He's a high priority target.

_And..._

_"NOOOOOO!" I screeched, slamming my hands on the table and standing up suddenly. Everyone stared at me and I stared at the lacrima. "Natsu! NATSU!"_

_He sat up shakily and I saw he was coming to the same conclusion I did. He grabbed the front of the Elder's shirt and shook him frantically. "Where's the former chairman?!"_

_"PANTHER LILY!" I screamed, gesturing wildly to the exceed. "Hurry!" The confused exceed didn't question me as he turned into his mini form and wings sprouted from his back._

_A thousand questions sprouted at once. "Where are you going?" Gray called loudly, trying to grab for me._

_But I was already at the guild exit. I turned back and everyone stared at me in shocked silence. "Panther Lily, get ready to fly," I whispered. I raised my voice. "Protect the other council members."_

_"Nicole!" Gray grabbed my wrist. Gajeel was advancing on me, snarling. "Where are you going?"_

_I glared. "Why do you think Tartaros knows exactly where everyone is and we don't?"_

_With that being said I turned and jumped, Panther Lily catching me in the air. "They've got a spy!" I hollered back. "Someone high up! Natsu and I will go help Mira and Erza! Get council members! Gajeel, I'll bring your cat back!"_

_My voice was out of shouting range and I watched the forms of Gajeel and Gray turn into small dots. I turned forward again. "Panther Lily, go as fast as you can possibly go."_

_"That was extremely smart of you for figuring that out," he remarked, accepting the thanks._

_I smiled._

_"Know your enemy."_

**Chapter 57: Tartaros: Silver**

**Nicole's POV**

"So," I called up to Panther Lily as we zoomed through the sky, "what do you think of these Tartaros creeps?"

Panther Lily shifted his weight. "Well, if they're trying to set off that pulse bomb, FACE, to prevent us from using magic, they will ultimately be in control of the world, because they use curses. We're going to... to do what, exactly?"

"I've been trying to think this through," I called. "We'll stop Mira and Erza before Tartaros can get them, and if they're not there, we see if we can sniff out Tartaros." I tapped my nose. "Dragon Slayer scent."

"Sounds like you have a plan!" I heard him call.

I smirked. "Thinking it up as we go!"

We soared for a few more minutes, low to the tree line. Sometimes my ankles brushed the higher branches. We kept going, the determination to find my guild mates fueling my anger, before I started smelling the familiar scent of Mira and Erza. "We're almost there!"

"I see something," the exceed called. I craned my neck forward and saw a small stone shack or something.

Then there was a loud explosion and the stone hut crumbled into a pile of rubble. Panther Lily and I paled. "...Natsu."

We slowed and came to a stop outside the former chairman's house. I could hear Happy yelling,"Natsu! You're getting carried away!" and I knew that the chairman was working with was angrily sniffing the ground. I immediately dropped and did the same. "You okay, Natsu?" I asked.

"Fine," he growled, "but they won't be by the time I'm done with them."

The determination and anger in his voice was terrifying. He looked up for a second. "Nice job figuring that out. You took Gajeel's cat?"

I sighed. "Yep. I miss Lucky."

"Who's Lucky?" Natsu questioned, turning around to face me.

I shifted awkwardly. "My old exceed."

He nodded. "That way." He pointed out west. I nodded to him.

"Let's go."

We began to fly again, Happy and Panther Lily keeping speed with each other. We soared in silence. My eyes were scouring the ground and sky for any large sort of base or anything at all. I turned my head to Natsu, wind pulling my hair back. "Plan?"

"Find Mira and Erza," Natsu said, "And beat up as many people as possible."

I smirked. "Sounds good!"

A minute later a large cube came into view. "That's it," I gasped. "That's so weird!"

"Let's get 'em," Natsu growled, urging Happy to pick up speed. I did the same to Panther Lily. Flying upwards, Natsu's dragon vision came to a rest on an opening in the cube wall. "There! Happy, there!"

The pair of us zoomed closer and closer. I saw a large man in a uniform and a one-eyes creature lumbering by. "That's the chairman!" I glared- hard. It's on.

_"WE FOUND YOU!" _Natsu and I hollered at the top of our lungs. The look of shock on the pair's face made my day and I sunk my boot deep into the one-eyed man's eyeball and Natsu punched the dentures out of the chairman's mouth.

We stood up for a second, trying to get out balance on the unfamiliar floor. I swayed slightly. Panther Lily reverted to his battle form, drawing his sword and gripping it tightly. "WHERE ARE MIRA AND ERZA?!" Natsu hollered, stomping his foot into the ground, creating an implant.

"Where are they?!" I demanded loudly, squishing my fist into the enemy's eye. I withdrew quickly (it was squishy!) and glared down.

The creature croaked out a bought of laughter. "You mean the captives!" He staggered to his feet. "You're from Fairy Tail, then." He wheezed. "You followed the chairman. How much will he pay for his blunder? How much?!"

He extended his arm at me. He was slow, though, partially because I nailed him in the face repeatedly. I leaned to the side and the arm whooshed past me.

"YOU TALK TOO MUCH!" Natsu hollered, landing his fist into the guy's head. I smirked as the enemy hollered in pain and spiraled backwards. But Natsu was dead serious. I wanted to find my guild mates- I should be more serious. I am.

I turned towards the black exceed. "Panther Lily, I promised Gajeel I'd get you back. As soon as you can I want you to fly back to the guild and let them know where we are. Promise?" The black exceed nodded and steadied him sword.

The demon groaned and picked himself up off the ground. "You dare to hit me?! You dare?! Your price is 1,000 souls!" He extended both his arms, one at me and one at Natsu, but I merely jumped over it again, and Natsu weaved to the side.

"Natsu! Nicole!" I heard Happy scream. I turned, and the arm had twisted, and then touched my shoulder, clamping on hard.

"Contact."

A sharp jolt, like electricity, pushed through my body, sapping my energy, and I screamed loudly. All my energy was leaving me, abandoning my body, and I was collapsing-

Then Panther Lily swung his sword and cut off the connection. "Thanks," I gasped, staggering to my feet. Happy had bitten down on the foe's other arm, causing the enemy to howl and draw back.

"That hurt!" He howled, advancing again, but Natsu and I were too quick. I jumped over his next arm and dodged the next swung, advancing only a fraction of a second behind Natsu.

The pink-haired Dragon Slayer slammed his palm into the enemy's face. "FIRE DRAGON'S CRUSHING BLITZ!" The explosion of heat was overwhelming, and I saw the creature stumble backwards, squawking awkwardly. I moved forward. "ICE DRAGON'S MISSILE IMPACT!" I clapped both my hands together in front of me and an icy spurt of energy propelled itself at the enemy, impaling him as he stumbled backwards and collapsed.

But he stood up just as quickly. "Your cost is 2,000 souls!"

"He's alive?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Franmalth, that's enough."

So his name was Franmalth. I stared up at the new comer. "No," I whispered.

"Let me take it from here. You get the chairman to safety."

The man stood tall and human, with jet-black spiky hair and stubble on his chin. He wore chest armor that had _Absolute Zero _written on it. He was smirking casually as he stalked forwards. Franmalth, dejectedly, started dragging the chairman backwards, away from us.

"You..." I whispered.

Natsu's expression darkened. "The temperature just dropped."

"Natsu," Happy whined, shivering, "I'm cooooold!" I noted that Panther Lily was moving towards Happy, sword still ready.

"So it was you two?" the guy said. "You two melted the ice on that village."

"You froze it?" I said suddenly.

And then, the man did something that surprised me. He laughed. "I gotta thank you. I would've felt guilty if it stayed like that forever."

I cocked my head curiously. The guy smelled almost exactly like Gray, but I was worried mentioning it would invoke him into moving and attacking. But then Natsu said it. "You... You smell kind of like someone I know."

His smile vanished. Natsu spoke again. "Gray..."

With a wave of his hand, the last thing I saw was his angry face as the ice encased itself over my skin. I heard him say, "do not speak that tainted name."

_That trick doesn't work on me, _I thought with satisfaction. I concentrated and the ice shattered around me. Coughing, I concentrated on Natsu's ice, about to crack it like I did with mine, but another wave of the man's ice pushed me backwards. I coughed loudly and turned towards the exceeds. "Panther Lily, Happy, get out of here! NOW!"

Reluctantly the two obliged, flying out the gap. I focused back on the man, ready to attack, when he said, "wait."

I still pushed my palms out in front of me. "Why should I?"

"I recognize you," he said simply. "From the Grand Magic Games."

"Not my finest moments," I said simply, not once wavering my hands.

He nodded slowly. "Interesting."

"What's your connection to Gray?" I demanded, my patience running out. "You smell like him and look like him."

He sighed, lowering his hands. I didn't move mine. "Right, you're a Dragon Slayer." I sniffed more. He smelled like a mix of Gray, but more... mature, and death. I didn't know what to do. _Was he going to hurt me? Talk? Hurt Natsu? Why did he smell like Gray?!_

"You also smell like death," I remarked dryly. "Care to explain? Or are you going to pummel me?"

"I'm not going to hurt your friend," he said, gesturing to Natsu. "I'm surprised you broke out."

I smirked. "I'm the Dragon Slayer of ice. It'll take a bit more than that to stop me. Now answer my question."

"Persistent, are you?" He smirked. "Why should I bother answering your questions?"

I shifted my weight to my back leg. The situation was getting trickier and trickier. "Gray's my friend," I said simply.

"Are you his girlfriend?"

"WHAT?!" I spluttered. "No, no, no... no." I waved my hands frantically, trying to remove the blush from my cheeks. "Anyways. Are you... a relative? Or something?"

He nodded. "I'm... his father."

"His father's is dead," I snarled.

"I am. I've been brought back by a necromancer in our guild."

I stuttered. "...No way."

"Please don't say anything to him," he continued. "I'm not sure why I told you. I'm going to tell him myself. A battle is coming." He smirked. "My name is Silver."

"Nicole" I replied simply. "Nice-ish to meet you."

He smirked. "Same to you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take your friend and be on my way."

"No way," I countered. "I'm not-"

There was a chorus of yells behind me, and I turned quickly. Soldiers, maybe a hundred of them, were charging down the corridor, staffs facing me and crackling with energy. "ICE DRAGON'S ROAR!" I screeched, the sideways funnel of air and ice propelling the army backwards. I shifted my stance. "FLOOR!" With a stomp of a foot, ice quickly slid along the floor and caused the remaining warriors to slip and fall. I wiped the back of my hand on the corner of my mouth and turned again.

Silver and Natsu were gone.

_"DAMMIT!" _I hollered, my scream echoing down the hallways. The roof and walls around me burst into icy spikes and soon the only thing in my vision was ice, ice, and more ice. Like the Grand Magic Games.

Then I heard Silver's voice in my head.

_I left you for a reason. Take care of Gray._

I bit my lip. _I... I will._


	58. Tartaros: This Isn't It

**Hola, Konnechiwa, Aloha, Hey, Hi, Hello, Bonjour, Salu, and WELCOME to the next chapter of Secrets Can Kill!**

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_**Previously:**_

_"What's your connection to Gray?" I demanded, my patience running out. "You smell like him and look like him."_

_He sighed, lowering his hands. I didn't move mine. "Right, you're a Dragon Slayer." I sniffed more. He smelled like a mix of Gray, but more... mature, and death. I didn't know what to do. Was he going to hurt me? Talk? Hurt Natsu? Why did he smell like Gray?!_

_"You also smell like death," I remarked dryly. "Care to explain? Or are you going to pummel me?"_

_"I'm not going to hurt your friend," he said, gesturing to Natsu. "I'm surprised you broke out."_

_I smirked. "I'm the Dragon Slayer of ice. It'll take a bit more than that to stop me. Now answer my question."_

_"Persistent, are you?" He smirked. "Why should I bother answering your questions?"_

_I shifted my weight to my back leg. The situation was getting trickier and trickier. "Gray's my friend," I said simply._

_"Are you his girlfriend?"_

_"WHAT?!" I spluttered. "No, no, no... no." I waved my hands frantically, trying to remove the blush from my cheeks. "Anyways. Are you... a relative? Or something?"_

_He nodded. "I'm... his father."_

_"His father's is dead," I snarled._

_"I am. I've been brought back by a necromancer in our guild."_

_I stuttered. "...No way."_

_"Please don't say anything to him," he continued. "I'm not sure why I told you. I'm going to tell him myself. A battle is coming." He smirked. "My name is Silver."_

_"Nicole" I replied simply. "Nice-ish to meet you."_

_He smirked. "Same to you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take your friend and be on my way."_

_"No way," I countered. "I'm not-"_

_There was a chorus of yells behind me, and I turned quickly. Soldiers, maybe a hundred of them, were charging down the corridor, staffs facing me and crackling with energy. "ICE DRAGON'S ROAR!" I screeched, the sideways funnel of air and ice propelling the army backwards. I shifted my stance. "FLOOR!" With a stomp of a foot, ice quickly slid along the floor and caused the remaining warriors to slip and fall. I wiped the back of my hand on the corner of my mouth and turned again._

_Silver and Natsu were gone._

_"DAMMIT!" I hollered, my scream echoing down the hallways. The roof and walls around me burst into icy spikes and soon the only thing in my vision was ice, ice, and more ice. Like the Grand Magic Games._

_Then I heard Silver's voice in my head._

I left you for a reason. Take care of Gray.

_I bit my lip._ I... I will.

**Chapter 58: Tartaros: This Isn't It**

**Nicole's POV**

After Silver... left (I can't think of a better word for his departure) and I had made my position known, I slipped away through the fortress, tracking Natsu's scent and being careful not to leave a trail of ice behind me. I had gone about five minutes down a hall, sniffing out the Fire Dragon Slayer, when I heard troops marching around. It took a lot of ducking, hiding, and dodging (and a hell load of self-control!) and I was so far staying out of sight.

"Hmm," I mumbled to myself. There seemed to be no way off this flying cube. "How is the rest of Fairy Tail going to get on and attack?"

_Maybe I could make an opening?_ I thought. Then the faintest scents caught the attention of my nose.

Mirajane.

Her lavender scent was mangled with the smell of demons and death. Growling, I switched routes. I needed to find Mira and Erza too.

**"Attention," **came a booming voice. I pivoted right and left, my eyes surveying the room, but I couldn't detect the source of the voice. **"It has come to attention there is a Fairy Tail member possessing ice powers aboard our fortress. Find her and kill her. That is all."**

The voice was dark and raspy. Maybe their leader. I face-palmed. "Stupid, stupid, me." That ice explosion really helped hide me.

I continued down the hall way, occasionally going down stairs, never up. They weren't exactly stairs, to say the least, but crumbling stones that were falling apart. I slowly and carefully stepped down, down, down. I was met with a sight I really wasn't expecting.

A large room with tubes, many many tubes, and many many smells. Acid, demons. A lady stood in the center of the room, with two large horns on her head, and dressed in a kimono. Her kimono looked identical to mine when I was in Dragon Force, but it a different pattern and colour. A short girl with black hair was twirling around the room, saying, "Fa, fa, fa," and Mirajane Strauss' naked body was held up by tentacles in one of the large tubes.

The lady with horns noticed me. "Kyoka-sama did not warn me we were having guests."

"Mard Geer did!" chattered the little girl. "This is who he wants us to kill!" She pointed a rude and accusing finger at me, at my Fairy Tail mark which was poking out from under my jacket. "She's with _them._"

"Let Mira go," I snarled, pressing the side of my fist into my open palm, sinking into a fighting stance. The girl with horns sighed slightly.

Then the ground began to rumble. I gasped and stumbled a bit to the side, fighting for balance. The two girls also skidded a bit to one direction, which made me believe that this was the work of our side and not theirs. I glared the little girl down when there was a crash and several tubes began to shatter.

"Mira-nee!"

I turned and saw Lisanna Strauss, equipped in her Animal Soul: Cat Soul outfit. "Mira!" She called, darting past me. After noticing me for a second she turned back. "Nicole! Find Natsu! We found Erza!"

"Good," I said in relief. "Good luck!"

I turned and dashed back up the stairs.

*****:::~~~...**

After a minute of jogging and running, I slowed myself down. I scented Erza. And Natsu.

I had turned a corner when I heard pounding. I could smell the smell of home- Fairy Tail. They were here. But they couldn't get in.

"Damn, I really hope nobody's in the way," I said quietly. I gathered all my energy and made a large swirling motion with my hands, pressing my palms together. "Ice Dragon's Avalanche!" I thrust out both my palms and a wave of ice burst out of nowhere and blasted through the wall. I heard a few yelps as the hole was made in the wall, but a second after, Fairy Tail members came storming inside.

I tilted to the side as the wave moved past me. Then I heard a squeal. "Nicole!" I was smothered by Lucy and I found myself embracing the blonde back. "We were so worried!"

"No need," I assured.

She beamed. "I should get going. A certain two people have a bone to pick with you." She winked and ran off.

_Two people?_

**_"PRINCESS!"_**

"For the last time," I hollered, "Do NOT call me Princess!"

"I'll call you whatever I damn feel like," Gajeel Redfox roared. The Iron Dragon Slayer was marching over to me angrily, making a point of pounding each footstep into the ground, "for stealing my damn cat! I went through a lot of work to get that cat! Next time, you take me along or not at all! Understand?!"

"Good to see you two, Metal-face," I snickered, wrapping an arm around Gajeel's shoulders and ruffling his hair. Gajeel scowled and shoved me off. "Okay, sorry. But I needed to get there."

"Why not take the Squirt's exceed?" Gajeel complained. "Why mine?"

I shrugged. "Carla would've demanded to know where she was flying to."

"Point taken." He ruffled my hair. "Don't die, okay Princess? I tolerate you."

I grinned up at him. "Same to you!"

The brother-like character ran off, mumbling something about exceeds, and left me beaming. I turned around and met the last person on my 'Let's give Nicole heck for running off again' list.

"Never," Gray freaking damn Fullbuster ranted, "Have I ever seen you so reckless." He shook his head. "Next time you tell me where you're going. We had almost no clue until we pieced it together and Levy found the fortress. What were you thinking? You should've brought me along."

I laughed. "Slooooooooow down." I gently placed my hands on his shoulders. "I'm fine. I'm in one piece. You know very well Panther Lily can't carry two people."

He sighed, smirking, and placed his own hands on my shoulders. "You don't have to do everything, you know? You've got family."

There was a pang in my heart as Silver's face flashed through my head. I bit my lip, hoping Gray didn't notice, and rested my own hands on top of his, mustering a grin. "I know. I had Flame Head."

He rolled his eyes. "That doesn't help."

"Trust me." I smiled. "Let's go kick some ass, why don't we?"

"Sounds wonderful," Gray said, smiling, and we both ran off into the fortress, deeper into the hell the demons knew as a home.

**...~~~:::*****

"Ice Dragon's ROAR!" I screeched, blasting away several soldiers.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray called, pushing back another wave.

We continued forging deeper and deeper into the fortress, keeping eyes open for any other Fairy Tail members or enemies. We saw soldiers more than anything, actually.

Then a familiar scent pierced my nostrils. "I smell death," I warned.

Gray nodded, and as we turned a corner, I found the source of the smell. A skeletal-like person in a huge black robe was blocking our path. He clutched a tall staff in one bony hand and there was a huge back part of the cloak that framed his head. A large creepy mask hid his face and the only part of his body that was visible was the bony hand that gripped the staff.

"Interesting," the foe rasped, "Two humans."

Gray narrowed his eyes. "Ice Make: Lance!" The icy lances appeared and darted at the enemy, but he simply... split himself apart, like a dark black wind that floated away from the ice.

"Ice Dragon Roar!" I called, the sideways funnel of cold air blasting at the dead creature, but a hole opened up in the middle of himself and my attack went right through.

"What the heck?" Gray snarled. "He's..."

"Creepy," I finished. "Maybe an attack from all sides?"

He nodded at me. I shut my eyes and pounded my fists together. "Ice Dragon's Prism!" Two square faces appeared as if called, one on each side of the enemy, both quickly closing in. A back face, a top, and a front appeared, all narrowing in on the enemy and forming a prism. I kept up my concentration, Gray lending me support. I was about to finish the spell and hopefully imprison the enemy when in a flash of dark energy, he dashed out of the prism like a cheetah and pointed the staff at the ground in front of me.

A skeleton broke out of the ground. The scent of death was overpowering. I screamed as the skeleton grabbed my ankle and a second popped out of the ground next to it. "Get it off!" I shrieked, shaking my ankle. Cringing, Gray stomped his foot down and took off the skeleton's arm. "Get it off!"

"What the heck?!" Gray howled as one clawed at his legs. I screamed again and stomped down frantically, shaking myself to get the creatures off. It was creepy, it was all creepy, it was death, calling me-

Something shook my shoulder. Instead of the skeleton hand I expected, it was Gray's cold but comforting hand. "Get a hold of yourself!" He called, swatting away another skeleton. "He's getting away!" Sure enough, our dead enemy was fleeing.

I shrieked again and stomped down, the ground around me and Gray erupting in icy spikes that protruded to our necks, blocking us from the undead attack. I gasped for breath. "Sorry. Sorry..."

"We should split up," Gray suggested, pained, "because both of us do no good with him. You go that way, I'll stay with him." He gestured to an empty hall way.

I bit my lip._That was so pathetic. _"S...Sure." I turned quickly, cheeks red, and dashed off down the tunnel.

No sooner had I gotten far when a voice sounded in my head. It was Warren, the telepath from our guild, notifying us all that Mirajane was alright. I sighed in relief and cheered when Lucy said Wendy and Carla stopped Face, the enemy's magic pulse bomb, and then there was a burst of static.

With my dragon enhanced hearing the sound was amplified and I clutched the sides of my head. "Aghhh..."

It was the voice that ordered my capture earlier.

"None of you vermin will exist tomorrow."

Then the walls began to morph.

They curved and bubbled. Panicking, I ran back down the hallway, looking for the only person I knew was around. "Gray! GRAY!"

"Nicole!" His voice was faint. Panic seizing, I stumbled as I lost gravity and shrieked as the sudden pull dragged me down the hall way I was going. Coughing, I opened my eyes. The walls were sucking in everything that touched them.

Then I saw a mess of spiky black hair, who was waist deep into the side of the wall. "Gray!" I called again, my voice lost in the howling wind.

But he noticed me, and as I flew by, grabbed my hand.

The sudden stop pulled me to the ground and the instant I hit it, I felt myself being dragged in like quicksand. I let out a small gasp and pulled on Gray's arm just as he pulled me closer. "Thanks," I gasped, hugging myself closer to him.

"What is this?" He yelled, reaching out for anything that could pull us out.

I shook my head. "If this is it..."

"It isn't," he insisted, nudging me closer to him. "Fairy Tail will get out of this."

The white material wrapped itself around his upper body and mine. My arms now were crusted against his shoulders. The material crept up my neck, and I smiled, staring into his warm yet desperate eyes, desperate to get out of this. "We will."

And then Alegria, the curse, enveloped us completely.

* * *

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	59. Tartaros: Best For Gray?

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_**Previously:**_

_With my dragon enhanced hearing the sound was amplified and I clutched the sides of my head. "Aghhh..."_

_It was the voice that ordered my capture earlier._

_"None of you vermin will exist tomorrow."_

_Then the walls began to morph._

_They curved and bubbled. Panicking, I ran back down the hallway, looking for the only person I knew was around. "Gray! GRAY!"_

_"Nicole!" His voice was faint. Panic seizing, I stumbled as I lost gravity and shrieked as the sudden pull dragged me down the hall way I was going. Coughing, I opened my eyes. The walls were sucking in everything that touched them._

_Then I saw a mess of spiky black hair, who was waist deep into the side of the wall. "Gray!" I called again, my voice lost in the howling wind._

_But he noticed me, and as I flew by, grabbed my hand._

_The sudden stop pulled me to the ground and the instant I hit it, I felt myself being dragged in like quicksand. I let out a small gasp and pulled on Gray's arm just as he pulled me closer. "Thanks," I gasped, hugging myself closer to him._

_"What is this?" He yelled, reaching out for anything that could pull us out._

_I shook my head. "If this is it..."_

_"It isn't," he insisted, nudging me closer to him. "Fairy Tail will get out of this."_

_The white material wrapped itself around his upper body and mine. My arms now were crusted against his shoulders. The material crept up my neck, and I smiled, staring into his warm yet desperate eyes, desperate to get out of this. "We will."_

_And then Alegria, the curse, enveloped us completely._

**Chapter 59: Tartaros: Best For Gray?**

**Nicole's POV**

Suddenly I could see again.

Gasping, I stared down, and the material covering me and Gray was receding, molding together and then vanishing. Wriggling myself until my arms were free, I pushed myself out of the trap and brushed myself off. "What was that?" I asked to nobody in particular, sniffing the air. The person, or demon, we had been fighting was gone.

Gray eased himself out of the material and stood up, offering me a hand I gratefully accepted. "No clue. Smell anything?"

I inhaled through my nose, taking in the bunches of new scents all around. Lucy's scent was strong and close- but it was laced with sadness and fear. "Lucy," I responded, pointing to an opening in the wall. "She's that way."

We started running. As we moved, I caught mixed scents of demons, and then Gajeel, and a faint scent of Natsu. Fearing the worst I poured on the speed, bursting past Gray and into the scent-filled area. Lucy was laying down, crumpled on the floor, in an outfit I had never seen before, and Gajeel stood in front of her, arm raised, formed in metal. A large hulking man was glaring at them- he kind of resembled a shark. A large fin on his head, and huge muscled arms, the figure scared me a bit.

A dark shape caught my eye, a black misty thing, swirling above Gajeel, then plunged like an arrow.

"No you don't!" I screamed, knowing it was the demon we faced before. "ICE DRAGON'S FROZEN FIST!"

The icy blast from my fist pushed him back a bit, sure, but the mist separated and my fist flew through empty air. Growling, I skidded backwards, my hand lightly brushing the floor for balance. Gajeel stared at me, in amusement and awe. I heard Lucy murmur my name. "Nicole..."

Then I saw Silver.

He looked the same as before, that same calm smirk on his face. He stomped his foot. "Freeze!"

"You're not getting away with that!" Gray came through in between Gajeel and I and thrust his palms forward, countering Silver's ice with a large amount of his own. I watched in amazement as I compared the two. Strong. Arrogant, in a way. And they both looked and smelled similar.

Suddenly _another _enemy landed in front of us. Lightish hair, reached his shoulders. He narrowed his eyes at us and spread his arms, his fists clenched. A large explosion of fire erupted in front of us. I heard Gajeel faintly growl, "Fire?!" and I began coughing loudly. But the smoke and intense heat suddenly vanished and Natsu's scent overcame Gajeel's. I peered up from my hands and saw Natsu inhaling all the flames. I smiled.

"Phew!" Natsu said, smirking. "Don't know what ya did, but you saved us, Lucy! I think you did, anyway." We all moved to stand beside Natsu; Gajeel, Gray, and I. Clenching my fists, I stared down the four people- or rather, demons- in front of us. "Lookit that!" Natsu smirked. "A bunch of real strong jerks, all in a row!"

He smacked his fist into his palm. "Now I'm all fired up!"

There was an intense silence of a stare down, and I was seriously considering jumping forwards and attacking, but they'd respond badly and I needed a better plan. Then, to my horror, Gray locked eyes with Silver. "You... Never mind, you can't be."

"He's the one who froze the giant's village," Natsu added. I started shaking. _Please Silver, don't drag me into this-_

Gajeel sniffed. Out of the five of us here, three were Dragon Slayers. I was quivering. "His smell remind me of yours," Gajeel remarked dryly, nodding to Gray.

I tensed.

And then Silver moved.

He dashed by me so fast I almost fell over. My reactions completely failed me. He gripped Gray's shoulders. "This one is mine!" In a blur of bright light, the two vanished, Gray's shocked face the last thing I saw of them.

A voice in my mind.

_Don't worry so much about him._

If Silver was in front of me, I would have grabbed him and shaken him, demanding he reveal what he was going to do and tell Gray right away. But sadly, he wasn't. I only tightened my fists and stared at the ground, eyes squeezed tightly shut, mouth squeezed in a line.

"Oi, Princess, you okay?" I turned to Gajeel's voice.

I nodded, shaky. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Nicole," Natsu warned. "You sure."

"It's sweet that you care," I snarled. "But right now we have bigger problems!" Feeling slightly guilty for my behavior I turned forwards and screeched.

"ICE DRAGON'S ROAR!" I screeched at the top of my lungs, the sideways funnel of cold air blasting at the shark man. It almost hit him when the guy who made the fire explosion stepped in front.

"Fwirl."

Huge tornadoes appeared in front of us, my roar long lost in the wind. I grimaced and then became weightless, my body tearing upwards through the wind. Gasping loudly, I hit the wall with a smack, felt something break, and skidded to a stop at the floor, collapsing. Groaning, I rubbed my head and shakily stood up. "Nicole!" I heard Lucy yell. I adjusted to the winds just in time to launch an Ice Dragon's Wing Attack at the necromancer, who danced away in his signature black mist. I rolled away as an electric blast flew my way, finding myself next to Gajeel and Natsu again.

"LET'S GO!" We all screamed in unison, charging once more. But Gray's shocked face was plastered in my mind.

*****:::~~~...**

The fight continued for the longest time. We all fought hard, testing our opponent's strengths and weaknesses. I dodged, slashed and rolled, and we each seemed to have picked an opponent. Gajeel was fighting the shark man, and Natsu had taken on the explosion guy, who I quickly figured out was the guy we needed the blood from, to save Laxus and the Raijinshu tribe. I was stuck with the same guy as before, the necromancer, who I couldn't seem to land a single hit on. Growling, I noticed Natsu and Gajeel having equal difficulties. I was going to suggest switching opponents but they were too busy.

I kicked out and the necromancer's body misted again. _His mask is always there. Maybe I can aim for the face._

I swung a right punch and was about to connect with his head when his staff whipped out of nowhere and blocked my hand. I kicked up with my left leg, my height more than enough to hit his head, but it only seemed to daze him... but I had gotten somewhere, I pushed him back.

I jumped back. I needed to amp my game.

"Dragon Force," I whispered, raising two fingers on each hand and pressing them together in front of my chest. A light blue glow surrounded me, and then vanished, leaving me in my light blue kimono-like robe and ice blue hair. Shoeless again, I stomped my foot on the floor, earning me a few scrapes on my foot but rewarding me with an icy floor.

The area around me started spreading out with ice. I tried to control it and avoid spreading it to Gajeel and Natsu's battles. Natsu glanced over quickly. "Bringing out the big guns?"

"Sure!" I called back loudly. The necromancer watched me with interest.

"Got a name for that move?" Natsu called again, ducking to avoid a hit.

I shrugged. Gajeel smirked. "Ice Princess's Pretty Palace?"

I snorted. "Oh, please." I pointed a finger at my opponent and several ice bullets slashed out and attempted to impale his robe, all which failed. I glanced around my icy surroundings and smiled.

"Battle Zone," I yelled to the people that were like brothers to me. "Ice Dragon's Battle Zone!"

"Sweet," Natsu yelled.

"Should've taken my suggestion," Gajeel grumbled.

I shook my head, smiling, and started to advance on my opponent, my moves sharper and faster in my Dragon Force. He slashed out and completely took off a sleeve on my robe, making a red cut down my forearm. I growled.

Then a pang hit me. In my head, my mind. Something was wrong. _No, _I insisted. Gray was fine.

Suddenly a new smell appeared. Not here, but farther away. Sting and Rogue were here. I smirked. I kept fighting, taking the brute impact of his cuts. Blood ran down my right arm where my sleeve was gone but I didn't notice it until I skidded backwards. _I can't beat him! I can't land a single hit!_

My opponent spoke in a cold, raspy voice. "The story of the boy Gray comes to a close."

My pupil's dilated. "What. Did. You. Say?!" I hollered, charging forwards again. There was no way Silver would intentionally hurt Gray, for any reason what-so-ever. I had to believe that, I had to believe him.

"He uses Ice Demon Slayer magic."

"Demon Slayer?" I gaped, rolling away.

No emotion was portrayed by my foe. "The Underworld King realized the power of that magic, and honored him with a position among the Nine Demon Gates."

I almost laughed at the irony. "You're a guild of demons! What was he thinking?"

"Maybe to keep us in check," the necromancer mused, "but whatever the reason, he accepted."

_Insanity, _I thought with a shake of my head, running and leaping. I kicked at him, then twisted so I was upside-down and lashed out again. "I see what shall pass!" he boomed. "I foresee the disciple following the path of his master."

I paled. _Iced Shell?!_

Suddenly my opponent stopped. "The fiction has ended. Now the true story commences."

"Dead?" I squawked. "Gray's father is dead?!"

"He has been for a long time," he said. "My powers of foresight-"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!" I screeched loudly, almost literally flying towards him, punching and swinging, my moves becoming more and more reckless.

We fought and fought. "I'm a necromancer," he said, "one who can control the dead."

"Don't care anymore!" I snarled loudly, jumping back and shooting an Ice Dragon's Roar in his direction.

Then there was a voice in my head. _Miss Emereon._

Telepathy. It was Silver. _Silver? Gray's father? Is he okay? Are you okay?_

_Slow down. I don't have much time. You need to defeat that demon, the Black Archbishop Keyes! Don't worry, he's one of the weakest Demon Gates. He's a necromancer, trying to use the dead chairman to set off all three thousand Face bombs at once._

My mind was drawing a blank. A peculiar thought crossed my mind. I sensed Gajeel and Natsu keeping half an eye on me. "Three thousand?" I mused. _But then, then you'll die too._

_So you already knew? Do it anyways. For Gray's sake._

_For Gray's sake?!_

I shook my head vigorously. "This isn't best!" I hollered aloud, slashing at my opponent, now known as Keyes. I was sure I could defeat this guy. I was positive I could!

...so why was it so hard?!

My heart pounding in my chest, I faltered my attack and walked backwards. "Nikki!" I heard someone call, Natsu, Gajeel, I couldn't tell. Keyes stared at me. "Humans are fascinating. Very interesting. Perfect puppets."

"PUPPETS?" My voice rose and with renewed courage I attacked again. "Humans will never be your puppets!"

Despite my determination I knew exactly what was holding me back. There was a large cut under my eye and blood was trailing down my cheek. I gritted my teeth. I couldn't defeat him...

Because I cared for Gray too much.

Because I _loved _him too much.

I felt like collapsing and sobbing. I had to suck it up. I felt eyes on me, like Gajeel and Natsu and the other demons. That's when I realized I was glowing.

_The guild is counting on me._

I took a shaky step forward when Keyes pointed his staff at me. A black jet darted at me.

I let it hit me.

The voices became faint. I heard Natsu and Gajeel and Lucy scream my name, the demons and Keyes watching with sick satisfaction. But the attack didn't hurt. It soaked into my chest and I knew... I knew it was MEANT to hurt. So why not? Keyes was a demon of death. He was controlling the chairman. I needed to stop Face.

**_You can't do it and you know it._**

It was a small but effective voice, inside my head. _I can, _I thought stubbornly. _I can still do this._

**_They're all watching you. You know you can't. Stop being so damn stubborn for once in your life._**

I felt like collapsing again. That same familiar feeling was back again.

Bloodlust.

I could've fought it off, the chaotic and destructive feeling... but something told me it was the only way. The only way I could defeat Keyes. I needed to do this. _Is this truly best for Gray?_

**_You know you have to._**

"SHUT UP!" I screeched, clutching at my head. I started to crouch, my palms pressed to the sides of my head, my face contorted. I heard Lucy call my name.

**_You have to. For Gray._**

A sob wrenched through my throat as the tears slid down my cheeks. I made the worst decision of my life.

"Fine."

* * *

**Oh my god that was so hard to write. I hope you enjoyed. I can't wait to update so next chappie will probably be out soon. I'm extremely excited for next chapter. A bit long, but effective.**

**QOTD: What do you think about Nicole's character development?**

**What do you think will happen next chapter? Review!**


	60. Tartaros: Chaos Dragon Slayer

**All I have to say here, is:**

**Get ready for emotional, terrifying, and insane moments. **

**Explanations may or may not come later.**

**Love you all.**

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_**Previously:**_

_Despite my determination I knew exactly what was holding me back. There was a large cut under my eye and blood was trailing down my cheek. I gritted my teeth. I couldn't defeat him..._

_Because I cared for Gray too much._

_Because I loved him too much._

_I felt like collapsing and sobbing. I had to suck it up. I felt eyes on me, like Gajeel and Natsu and the other demons. That's when I realized I was glowing._

_The guild is counting on me._

_I took a shaky step forward when Keyes pointed his staff at me. A black jet darted at me._

_I let it hit me._

_The voices became faint. I heard Natsu and Gajeel and Lucy scream my name, the demons and Keyes watching with sick satisfaction. But the attack didn't hurt. It soaked into my chest and I knew... I knew it was MEANT to hurt. So why not? Keyes was a demon of death. He was controlling the chairman. I needed to stop Face._

_**You can't do it and you know it.**_

_It was a small but effective voice, inside my head. I can, I thought stubbornly. I can still do this._

_**They're all watching you. You know you can't. Stop being so damn stubborn for once in your life.**_

_I felt like collapsing again. That same familiar feeling was back again._

_Bloodlust._

_I could've fought it off, the chaotic and destructive feeling... but something told me it was the only way. The only way I could defeat Keyes. I needed to do this. Is this truly best for Gray?_

_**You know you have to.**_

_"SHUT UP!" I screeched, clutching at my head. I started to crouch, my palms pressed to the sides of my head, my face contorted. I heard Lucy call my name._

_**You have to. For Gray.**_

_A sob wrenched through my throat as the tears slid down my cheeks. I made the worst decision of my life._

_"Fine."_

**Chapter 60: Tartaros: Chaos Dragon**

**Normal POV**

_This was it._

As soon as Nicole had said her final word she knew she was done. That blood lust feeling was coming back, and she had just _agreed to it. _But there was no way she could do anything otherwise, she knew it. She could beat Keyes easily, if it wasn't for the fact Gray's father's life hung in the balance.

"Fine."

Natsu and Gajeel and Lucy looked over in confusion at their friend. Torafuzar, the man with the shark fins, and Tempester, the one who's blood was needed to save Laxus and the others, watched with slight shock and curiousity. Natsu was staring intensely.

"Nicole," Gajeel said quietly. "Are you-"

The Nicole that was crouched on the ground started leaking a terrifying red and black mist. It wasn't invading the battle zone, but seemed to pour out of Nicole's skin itself and then dive back into her body. Natsu's eyes widened and Lucy looked down right confused. Nicole's teeth were gritted tightly but she made no sign of movement.

And then her expression changed.

Her teeth no longer ground themselves together. She seemed to relax. Her expression faded until her face was emotionless. She seemed... at peace.

With the flurry of red and black mist you couldn't distinguish different colours- or see Nicole at all. The six watched, some confused, Keyes absolutely motionless, as Nicole was no longer visible, enveloped in black and red.

Gajeel growled. "I smell blood. And death. This isn't good."

"Nicole," Natsu called fiercely, slowly walking towards the Ice Dragon Slayer. "Nicole!"

And just like that, as if his voice were a command, the mist vanished and she stood up.

_But it wasn't her._

At that moment Nicole almost completely lost control over herself- as if she wasn't in control of her own body anymore. But it wasn't like her body was reacting. Nicole Emereon wanted to move, to figure out what was going on, and she couldn't. She struggled to control her mind- her body wanted to slaughter everything in sight- _everything. _Including her comrades. She couldn't have that. She seized all the control she had and forced it into her brain, determined to protect her sanity and... save herself, save herself after this was all over, all done.

Natsu, Lucy, and Gajeel watched in horror at the transformation.

Nicole no longer was dressed in her signature ice blue or lime green. Her Dragon Force kimono was red, blood red, exactly like it had been in the Grand Magic Games with her fight against Minerva. The one sleeve on her right side was ripped off, and black swirling lines ran along her bicep. Her ankles had matching black swirling designs, and the sash on her kimono was pitch black as well. Her hair scared Lucy- it was blood red, again like her battle with Minerva.

But it was when she opened her eyes when her friends realized something was horribly, dangerously, wrong.

Her eyes were completely black.

No, it wasn't that the colour was gone. Everything was black, the whites of her eyes included. Soulless. Empty.

Everyone gaped.

"She looks like a demon..." Torafuzar mumbled.

Seizing control for the seconds she could spare, Nicole forced herself to take a slow step towards Natsu, Gajeel, and Tempester. She had new powers, she could sense... blood, chaos, and death.

And she spoke, her voice raspy and dark.

"This is the one whose blood we need, correct?"

She stared straight at Tempester.

Gajeel, Lucy, and Natsu watched terrifyingly as she didn't move again. Natsu stepped forward again. "Nicole, snap out of it!"

"Well?" Nicole's cold, dark voice sounded again, demanding an answer. Yet her voice was calm, not angered.

Lucy gulped. "Yeah..."

Nobody moved.

"Fine." Raising a hand, the shady girl pointed her index finger sharply at Tempester, the cuts and bruises visible on her sleeveless arm. Nothing happened. Tempester stared down his new foe quizzically. But then Nicole jerked her finger- _the one, tiny finger- _upwards.

Blood spurted out Tempester's mouth and Lucy started gagging. Everyone took a step back as the demon clutched wildly at his throat, clawing at it and choking, as a thick trail of scarlet blood flew out of his throat. The trail ended abruptly, and he collapsed to the ground, choking on his own blood.

Nicole casually swirled her finger, her gaze still emotionless, the blood following her twisted cycle. Lucy looked down, gagging at the sight, while the two other Dragon Slayers watched in horror. If Keyes could show emotions, the group was pretty sure he would be shocked.

And Keyes acted.

The necromancer whipped out his staff and directed it at Nicole, a blast of death energy propelling itself at the girl. Gajeel roared out her name but the girl didn't even flinch as the bolt came next to her head.

Then her hand snapped up and grabbed the blast.

_Grabbed it._

It didn't have a physical form. How was that possible?

And then she shocked everyone again.

She ate it.

She _ate _it.

_She ate it!_

Popping it up in the air and inhaling it like Natsu would with his fire, soon the blast was gone, leaving nothing but shock in its wake. Ignoring the stares, Nicole stared the Dragon Slayers down. "Bag."

Long pause while Natsu's brain tried to register what happened.

"Bag," she repeated.

Shakily Gajeel held out a cloth brown bag from his back pocket. Nicole pointed her finger in that direction and the still swirling blood threw itself at Gajeel, who flinched visibly. Slowly lowering her hand forced the thick, crimson substance to enter the bag. Nicole lowered her hand. "There."

"Nicole," Natsu said in shock.

Gajeel finished. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

In a split second, Nicole's black soulless eyes flickered, revealing her human eyes for that millisecond, indicating something like she didn't have control, then faded to pitch black again and she turned around. Her slow, robotic steps moved her across the still-icy ground to Keyes. He pointed his staff again and black bolts fired themselves at Nicole, who didn't move as the few who made contact merely faded into her skin.

"She's not human," Torafuzar whispered. "She's nowhere near."

"I assure you I am very much so." Nicole's voice came as a surprise, and as she looked back at the others, a ghost of a smirk or smile played on her lips before it vanished completely.

And all hell broke loose.

Nicole screamed and a black magic circle surrounded her feet. Her red hair stood on end and an insane amount of magical energy appeared. Nicole screamed again, and it all vanished in no time flat. Then she sped across the battle zone as fast as Jet and slammed her palm into Keyes' robe.

A huge explosion was heard and when smoke cleared, Keyes had skidded across the clearing and was struggling to get up. Nicole moved quickly and efficiently and screamed, "CHAOS DRAGON'S ROAR!"

A red and black funnel of power thrust Keyes backwards more, and as soon as the power let up, she zoomed in from the side, Keyes barely having time to face her. "Chaos Dragon's Fury!"

A black explosion of light hit Keyes, and then another, and another, and another. The repeated blows were too much for the necromancer to handle.

Keyes stood, struggling, and the emotionless Nicole faced him. She walked over to him and extended her palm several inches from his mask.

"You're done here," she somewhat snarled. She slashed her hand down and his mask cracked in half.

The broken form of Keyes crumpled to the ground.

"Humans," Nicole said quietly, "Will never be puppets. We have our own will. Our own mind to control. And we are different from puppets." Her kimono colour faded from red back to its original blue. The black swirls that lined her biceps and calves turned blue, as did her hair. NIcole's formerly soulless eyes turned back to their crazy mix of blue, green, and brown. But her expression was still lost and lonely. "We have the power to love others."

"That human took down Keyes!" Torafuzar wheezed. "No, not even human!"

Nicole looked to Natsu and Gajeel, who simply stared at her like she had grown a second and third head. She looked lonely, forgotten, and lost.

And then she broke.

Nicole collapsed, all her emotion flooding back into her body at once. The cries started, followed by sobs, and Nicole sunk to her knees, crying into her hands. _What have I done?_

_Thank you._

Silver.

_You have stopped the Face bombs._

Those words brought little comfort.

_Take care of Gray._

Nicole heaved one final sob. _I promise. I promise I will..._

* * *

**Geez that was difficult to write. Hope you liked.**

**QOTD: Whatcha think of Nicole's power/situation? Theories?**

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	61. Tartaros: If he had Turned Around

**THANK YOU DOZENS for the reviews last chapter! I'm extremely thankful to those of you who helped me get to 265 reviews and the 61 chapter mark. Thanks so much.**

**I realize this story is definitely not the most popular story around... but you people who follow, favourite, and review just make it all worth while. I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.**

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_**Previously:**_

_And all hell broke loose._

_Nicole screamed and a black magic circle surrounded her feet. Her red hair stood on end and an insane amount of magical energy appeared. Nicole screamed again, and it all vanished in no time flat. Then she sped across the battle zone as fast as Jet and slammed her palm into Keyes' robe._

_A huge explosion was heard and when smoke cleared, Keyes had skidded across the clearing and was struggling to get up. Nicole moved quickly and efficiently and screamed, "CHAOS DRAGON'S ROAR!"_

_A red and black funnel of power thrust Keyes backwards more, and as soon as the power let up, she zoomed in from the side, Keyes barely having time to face her. "Chaos Dragon's Fury!"_

_A black explosion of light hit Keyes, and then another, and another, and another. The repeated blows were too much for the necromancer to handle._

_Keyes stood, struggling, and the emotionless Nicole faced him. She walked over to him and extended her palm several inches from his mask._

_"You're done here," she somewhat snarled. She slashed her hand down and his mask cracked in half._

_The broken form of Keyes crumpled to the ground._

_"Humans," Nicole said quietly, "Will never be puppets. We have our own will. Our own mind to control. And we are different from puppets." Her kimono colour faded from red back to its original blue. The black swirls that lined her biceps and calves turned blue, as did her hair. NIcole's formerly soulless eyes turned back to their crazy mix of blue, green, and brown. But her expression was still lost and lonely. "We have the power to love others."_

_"That human took down Keyes!" Torafuzar wheezed. "No, not even human!"_

_Nicole looked to Natsu and Gajeel, who simply stared at her like she had grown a second and third head. She looked lonely, forgotten, and lost._

_And then she broke._

_Nicole collapsed, all her emotion flooding back into her body at once. The cries started, followed by sobs, and Nicole sunk to her knees, crying into her hands. What have I done?_

_Thank you._

_Silver._

_You have stopped the Face bombs._

_Those words brought little comfort._

_Take care of Gray._

_Nicole heaved one final sob. I promise. I promise I will..._

**Chapter 61: Tartaros: If he had Turned Around**

**Nicole's POV**

I don't know how long it was before I stopped sobbing.

I faintly smelled Lucy hobble over and wrap her arms around me. The comfort was welcomed, but I was terrified. _Is Gray going to hate me now? _But deep down, I knew I had no choice. I had to trust Gray enough to believe he would forgive me. That took a lot of courage on my part. My sobs lessened and now I was just shaking. My thoughts clearing, I now could confirm it was Lucy indeed. I hugged her back, leaning into her shoulder.

"I want," I gasped, "I want to see Gray. Please. Soon."

"You will," Lucy promised, hugging tightly, her mouth screwed up in a grimace. "You will."

"I just..." the world was collapsing on me, all at once. What was I? A Chaos Dragon Slayer? That made some sense, but none at the same time. It explained the blood lust I had been feeling, but when did I learn how to do this? And why? None of it seemed to matter anymore. I just needed to see my crush...

Wait, what?

I shook myself and slowing started to stand up. I wiped furiously at eyes with the back of my hand. "I'm... I'm good..."

"Nicole," Gajeel said seriously, "You will relax and let us take care of this, and _later _you can explain whatever the hell that was."

I smiled shyly. "Sounds... good."

And so I proceeded to fall backwards onto the ground.

Lucy gasped and then helped me sit up, supporting my back so I wouldn't fall, and me doing the same for her. Gajeel and Natsu started having an extreme face-off, both unlocking their secondary type of Dragon Slayer form, with Natsu's being fire and lightning, and Gajeel's being iron and shadow. I frowned. Is mine chaos and ice? Blood and ice?

Both demons showed their inner madness and converted to their Etherious forms, forms that helped them gain extreme powers.

"These opponents," Torafuzar said, "possess dragon-like qualities. We may have to up our game!"

Suddenly stars flooded my vision and I winced and leaned back again. My head was still killing me.

_**But I'm suffering more emotional pain than physical. **_

When Lucy helped me sit up again, the two Dragon Slayers were punching... EACH OTHER in the face.

"Bickering isn't going to help!" Lucy called desperately. They both started arguing with each other again, going back and forth between being mad for punching and then jeering for a 'painless' punch

Coughing, I staggered to my feet.

"Nicole!" Lucy called worriedly. "Rest!..."

But her words didn't reach me. Gripping my right arm, where a line of blood was running down my bicep, and I stumbled forwards. Slowly, step by step. Both of my brother-like guildmates turned and stared at me, confused and slightly concerned. I moved, loudly and clumsily, forward, more and more until I couldn't go further and I fell to my knees.

"Just fucking fight already!" I yelled desperately. "Or I'll do it!"

They both blinked at me and smirked. "Sure thing Princess." Gajeel cracked his knuckles.

"He's dead already!" Natsu proclaimed, his fist igniting in a brilliant flame.

I smiled through the pain. "Oh, I know..."

As soon as they both were about to lunge, Shark-Dude raised his muscled arms. "Enough of this squabbling. Join me... in the watery Depths of Hell."

I heard the rush of water before I saw it. Realizing the bag with the other guy's blood was only a foot away, I snatched it and jammed it in a pocket, closing it and only having time to draw a breath before the wave completely enveloped us all.

I liked swimming. Well, I used to.

The water seemed to be trying to sap my remaining energy, drain me completely. I saw Natsu frantically trying to produce flames, but to no avail. I watched desperately as Gajeel started fighting the Shark Man. Struggling to stay awake, I pushed my arms frantically, trying to see if I could swim to air. My lungs were pained; they felt like they were going to burst apart.

And then I submitted to darkness.

*****:::~~~...**

**Normal POV**

The water was gone. Gajeel was soaked and on his knees, coughing. Everyone else with the exception of Levy were knocked out. Nicole was stirring. Gajeel tried to stand, but Tempester hovered above him. Biting back a kajillion curses, Gajeel slowly turned, bracing himself.

When Gray appeared out of nowhere and completely froze the guy.

With a quick, almost ten second battle, Tempester was ultimately frozen and defeated, Gray completely emotionless.

Gajeel gawked up at Gray. "What..."

"This is the guy who did a number on Laxus, right?" Gray asked, his tone low and cold.

Nicole coughed in the background, struggling to push herself up. Gajeel shook his head. "We already got it. She..." He pointed at the Chaos/Ice Dragon Slayer.

Gray looked over, and as his eyes met Nicole's struggling ones, it was like his cold exterior vanished and was replaced by a worried one. But an instance later it vanished. Nicole's large eyes, scarred and bloody, stared up at Gray, pleading and begging for him to even ask if she was alright. But Nicole didn't know if she deserved it. "How?" Gray croaked, not once betraying to emotion.

"I..." She shook her head quickly, as quick as she could manage in her state. "I don't..."

"Rest."

"I need to help!"

"What would Marol say if she saw you now?" Gray scowled.

Nicole flinched. Marol was a touchy subject. The Ice Dragon Queen was like her nature- cold towards at first. Because she was gone, Nicole had nothing left after Lucky died. The Dragon Slayer inclined her head and spoke the exact words that were on her mind. _**"I don't know who Marol is anymore."**_

Her answer surprised Gajeel and Gray. Scowling, Gray turned around. Nicole tired to push herself up. "I..."

"For God's sake," Gray snapped, "stop being so stubborn and rest for once!" Not once looking back to the girl's face, he clenched his fist. "I will personally take Tartaros down."

**...:*:*:...**

If Gray had looked back for even a split second, he would've noticed Nicole shrink down and collapse again, not looking up.

He might've noticed Gajeel watching in disbelief, as it was very odd of Nicole to just give up like that.

He could've seen the defeated look in Nicole's eyes and realized how much she cared for him, all in that one moment.

If he had turned around.

**...:*:*:...**

As Gray sped off, instead of looking back, he thought.

He felt something for Nicole. Something he didn't feel for anyone else in the guild, not Erza, Lucy, or even Juvia.

It killed him inside to see her hurt.

It would've shattered his heart to see and hear how much she had just gone through.

He didn't know why.

Why did he care about her so much? Why did he want her to stay out of danger? Why didn't he want her to get hurt? Why did he feel different?

Maybe he loved her.

Maybe.

* * *

**Final Note: Hope you enjoyed. That was so fun to write, but agonizing.**

**QOTD: You like the NiRay? Yay? Nay?**


	62. Tartaros: Dragons

**Onto Chapter 62! Yay!**

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**So I bet you all don't want to hear me drabble, so... On we go!**

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**SashaMonroe: I love that part in the manga too! It really shows Gray's sudden change of heart and new drive.**

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**_Previously:_**

_"I..." She shook her head quickly, as quick as she could manage in her state. "I don't..."_

_"Rest."_

_"I need to help!"_

_"What would Marol say if she saw you now?" Gray scowled._

_Nicole flinched. Marol was a touchy subject. The Ice Dragon Queen was like her nature- cold towards at first. Because she was gone, Nicole had nothing left after Lucky died. The Dragon Slayer inclined her head and spoke the exact words that were on her mind. **"I don't know who Marol is anymore."**_

_Her answer surprised Gajeel and Gray. Scowling, Gray turned around. Nicole tired to push herself up. "I..."_

_"For God's sake," Gray snapped, "stop being so stubborn and rest for once!" Not once looking back to the girl's face, he clenched his fist. "I will personally take Tartaros down."_

_**...:*:*:...**_

_If Gray had looked back for even a split second, he would've noticed Nicole shrink down and collapse again, not looking up._

_He might've noticed Gajeel watching in disbelief, as it was very odd of Nicole to just give up like that._

_He could've seen the defeated look in Nicole's eyes and realized how much she cared for him, all in that one moment._

_If he had turned around._

_**...:*:*:...**_

_As Gray sped off, instead of looking back, he thought._

_He felt something for Nicole. Something he didn't feel for anyone else in the guild, not Erza, Lucy, or even Juvia._

_It killed him inside to see her hurt._

_It would've shattered his heart to see and hear how much she had just gone through._

_He didn't know why._

_Why did he care about her so much? Why did he want her to stay out of danger? Why didn't he want her to get hurt? Why did he feel different?_

_Maybe he loved her._

_Maybe._

**Chapter 62:** **Tartaros: Dragons**

**Nicole's POV**

I felt more tears spring to my eyes but I squeezed them shut and forced them back. I was done crying.

"Levy," Gajeel was saying, "take this to Porlyusica." He was holding out that bag I had filled with Tempester's blood- the memory made me cringe.

I opened my red eyes (no, crying kind of red, not blood lust crap red) and looked around. Lucy was sitting up, as well as Natsu and the others. I was a bit confused- since when was Levy here?- but I rolled over onto my back, not caring about the new scrapes and cuts I was most likely getting.

Then some odd, familiar sound pierced my ears. A roar.

"What is..." I trailed off with a cough.

"Gajeel, can't you hear it?" Natsu whispered, trembling. His eyes wide with some kind of panic, he stood up. "It's Acnologia!"

_That's _why I recognized the sound. I pushed my self up onto my knees and stared at the fast approaching shape soaring through the sky.

I heard shouts, lots of shouts, and smelled fear and panic. Chaos! _Why does everything lead back to chaos?_ I was frozen, watching the dragon fly closer and then soar over top of us, everyone but me bracing themselves for the wind of his wings.

The gust hit me full on, and I cried out as I rolled over several times in the gravel. I stopped by Levy and Natsu, who helped me stand, shaking.

Then the oddest thing happened.

Natsu's body started beating. He clutched a hand at his heart, like in sudden pain, and crouched over. Gajeel did the same, laying down on the ground on his side. Lucy bent over Natsu, trying to touch his shoulder, and got burned. I stood up, panicking wildly. "Are the Dragon Slayers reacting to Acnologia?" Lucy wondered aloud.

_No!_ I wanted to scream. Why was I not?!

_"It appears the time is now."_

_What is this?!_

_"I'm sorry, Natsu... _

_"But I've been within you this whole time."_

In an eruption of light, Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, soared, high up into the clouds, twisting and turning and stretching his wings. I gaped at the sight. _The dragons do exist... _

Something's wrong.

Gajeel sat up, suddenly fine. "What's going on?!" I yowled. Wincing with every step I took, I slowly started to move, in the direction Gray had just left. I looked back for a split second and wished I hadn't- Natsu was staring up at the sky, completely shell-shocked, tears leaking from his eyes, down his face. Looking away quickly, I picked up Gray's scent and forced myself to move. Move, move faster.

_Why wasn't I reacting? _I stared up at the battling dragons in the sky and watched a bolt of fire zoom into the air and latched itself onto Igneel's shoulder. "Natsu," I mumbled, tearing my eyes away. Coughing, I winced and moved through the pain.

Then a bullet of fire flashed a couple hundred metres in front of me and landed with an explosion. I smelled Natsu and demon, and assumed he was fighting one. The leader, perhaps?

I winced.

Blood was still rolling down my arm and made my blood lust go wild.

Looking forward, I moved as fast as I could (which wasn't very fast) in the general direction. I smelled Sting and Rogue briefly, then I saw an explosion of ice from ahead and knew Gray had joined the battle.

I coughed up blood and winced again.

_I'm okay. The only things that hurt are my arm and my leg. My head is throbbing. I am fine. I need to help. I NEED TO HELP._

The drive to accomplish just that pushed me forwards. I ignored the foreboding sense I had that something horrible was going to happen and moved; moved faster and stronger.

I could do this.

I could help them.

**~.~.~***~.~.~**

I found them.

Natsu and Gray were fighting a creepy, armored man with wings and horns in the clearing and an intimidating presence. They both were pretty bruised, but their opponent looked fine. _It must be an Etherios form or something, _I thought, stepping forwards, out of sight of Natsu and Gray but in full sight of the evil leader.

The leader clasped his hands and appeared to be speaking. "Curse power was founded upon the very essence of life!"

"Now that's just stupid!" Natsu hollered back. "But even if you're right, it's magic that'll take us into the future!"

I stumbled forwards another step as the man pushed a palm forwards. Creepy dark purplish-black fog seemed to seep out of the ground and surround Gray and Natsu. "Wh- What is this stuff?" Natsu said, backing up a step. As he backed up, I moved forwards.

It smelled like curse, it smelled like death.

The creepy fog seemed to wrap itself around Gray and Natsu's ankles and move upwards, trapping them. I heard their cries of anger and frustration.

So I acted.

_Dragon Force, _I thought. My blue kimono appeared. My hair was blue. _Now, Chaos Dragon mode. _I had to try.

Struggling for control, my new red and black self rushed forwards towards my two partners. I inhaled. Loudly. All the purple fog, purple substance, was pulled out of the way and into my lungs. It didn't taste pretty, that's for sure; but it was receding. I didn't have time to see the Tartaros leader's face- my unknown abilities as a Chaos Dragon Slayer allowed me to inhale all the smoke.

"No," the man bellowed, "NO!"

I kept inhaling, coughing at the same time, but then I cut off, choking and coughing. The stuff made my lungs feel like exploding. I fell to my knees as Gray and Natsu stared at me in a mix of awe and confusement. "Sorry... I..." That was all I managed before the now-provoked Tartaros leader threw his arms above his head and the dark mist appeared again, rolling around us faster than before.

"I will not let you make a fool of me!" He bellowed. "My ultimate curse will bring you down!"

I had an idea. A crazy one, sure, but it just might work. Before the fog could trap me I pushed off the ground, leaping high, ignoring Gray's protests.

I remembered the bracelet, the one Gray had given me for Christmas.

Soaring into the air, I tapped the little blue gem in the middle of the snowflake charm bracelet Gray had given me. The icy staff appeared. I pushed my palms above my head, thrusting the staff upwards, and then stared down at the advancing threat. Concentrating, a large ice blue magic circle appeared above my head, and I descended, the circle's lines and runes wrapping themselves around Natsu, Gray, and I like a protective bubble.

"You... That's..." Gray's voice faltered as the realization dawned on him. "That's the bracelet I..."

"What, you thought I'd forget?"

Concentrating again, I slammed the butt of the staff into the ground, and said ice blue magic sphere turned black, all my control over chaos and death holding back the approaching threat. The opponent's final words were drowned out as the fog covered our heads, over the protective shield, as the black ancient writing kept us safe.

I faltered. Fog seeped in under the edge of the circle. "I can't..." I gasped, crumpling. "Control..."

There was a hand on my shoulder. Then one under my other arm that pulled me up. I looked up and saw Gray. "We have to protect the future."

"Right..." Forgetting the feelings that had run through my head earlier I pushed my hands high above my head as the purple fog changed to white, obliterating light. I scrunched up my face. There was almost so much pressure that my hands were going to fall off. I felt like collapsing then and there.

Then it all vanished.

I looked around quickly- Natsu had his arms above his head, like he was bracing himself, and half of Gray's body was black. It looked like he had absorbed the blow I couldn't prevent. He was breathing heavily, his body looked half humanized, half demonized. I watched in shock as suddenly he stumbled, and then fell. "Gray," I croaked, my voice hoarse. My Chaos mode switched off and left me in a blue tattered kimono as I scooted closer to him. "Gray! GRAY!"

"GRAAAAAAAAY!" Natsu hollered, leaping off the tips of his feet and lunging at the agitated opponent.

He lay still, very still on the ground, and I knelt next to him. "I'm going to beat the shit out of that guy," I promised, "but don't you dare die on me. You promised."

"So... Did... You..." he whispered.

I smiled.

Then I stood.

And then I was consumed by anger and revenge and I lunged at Mard Geer, the leader of the Underworld, right after Natsu slammed his fist into his face.

Natsu Dragneel had unlocked his Dragon Force- and I admit, he was twice as strong as me. The fact I could unlock it because of the magic power I had might've taken a toll on the amount of power I would actually have in the form. Nevertheless, I roared loudly. "ICE DRAGON'S SECRET ART: DRAGON SWORD!" A long, frozen sword slammed Mard Geer's face into the ground, and then Natsu propelled him upwards with another fire attack, both of us flung up in the process. We whipped out a barrage of attacks, one after another, blasting him high into the air with a look of supreme shock on his face. Natsu and I catapulted off the ground, screaming our Dragon Roars and then finding ourselves right next to Mard Geer.

Unfortunately, the demon had wings, and he grabbed Natsu by the head and me as well. My eyes were half shut; I could barely see the soon approaching ground.

"I believe too," Natsu managed. He stared me in the eye and our gaze locked, an understanding passed though. We both screamed at the same time.

"GRAAAAAAY!"

Just as we knew he could, he slowly rose to his feet, and used his new-found powers to launch an arrow made of pure ice through the man's heart. We had won.

I grinned softly.

Now I just had to worry about what'd I do now that I was plummeting to the ground.

* * *

**TA DA**

**Hope you enjoyed :)**


	63. Tartaros: The Worst Memories are Made

**GAH WE'RE ALMOST AT 300 REVIEWS EEEEEEEEE I LOVE YOU GUYS**

**Thanks so much for the encouragement and the bunch of reviews from AkaneLovesItachi :3 You guys are all so important to me. Every one of you followers and reviewers.**

**So let's move onto the next chapter!  
**

**BUT WAIT!**

**Somebody PMed me and asked for a list of Nicole's battle moves. Provided here:**

_**Nicole Emereon**_

_**Ice Dragon's Roar**_

_**Ice Dragon's Battlezone**_

_**Ice Dragon's Wing Attack**_

_**Ice Dragon's Frozen Fist**_

_**Ice Dragon's Impact**_

_**Ice Dragon's Crushing Fang**_

_**Ice Dragon's Secret Art: Death Tornado**_

_**Ice Dragon's Secret Art: Sword**_

_**Ice Dragon's Secret Art: Avalanche**_

_**Chaos Dragon's Roar**_

_**Chaos Dragon's Wing Attack**_

_**Chaos Dragon's Secret Art: Depths of Hell (coming soon)**_

_**Chaos Dragon's Secrets Art: Death Toll (coming soon)**_

_**Ice-Chaos Dragon's Hurricane (coming soon)**_

_**Eye-twitching power**_

_**Can inhale her elements**_

**Hope that helped :)**

**REVIEWS~**

**Dr4gonIc3F34th3r: You may have figured it out :3 PLOT TWIST**

**AkaneLovesItachi: THANKS FOR SO MANY REVIEWSS ILY and YES I LOVE NIRAY SO MUCH AND IM GLAD YOU DO TOO**

**No 'previously' today because of attack list :) :) :) :)**

**Chapter 63: Tartaros: Worst Memories are Made**

**Nicole's POV**

So maybe this was where it ended.

Falling to the ground, injured, bruised, beaten, completely out of magic power.

Interesting.

My eyes half shut and my face feeling like it was peeling off, I tensed, and braced myself for impact.

**((I can practically hear Dr4gonIc3F34th3r squealing for Gray to catch her, but I'm cruel, so))**

I hit the ground with a smack and crack.

My shoulder was the first to collide with the broken up ground, and I let out a low moan. My lungs still ached and burned from swallowing that mist, which couldn't have been good for me. I felt the ice blue of my outfit vanish and my hair gather itself back up into my ponytail. I was in my black tank top, ripped around the stomach. My green jacket was missing a sleeve, and my black jeans were torn at the knees. I hissed through my teeth and propped myself up on my elbows, my shoulder hissing in pain.

The world was a horrible sight.

Then there was a buzz, a loud, scary buzz. "FACE..." I mumbled. Gray was on his feet, as was Natsu, and they were both grinning at one another. Then they decided to spare me a glance. "Nikki!" Natsu hollered.

"Nicole!" Gray added.

And they both stomped over to me.

"I've got a bone to pick with you," Natsu growled. "Since when are you a Chaos dragon slayer?!"

Gray frowned. "And why are you so stupid sometimes?"

"I thought your dragon parent was Marol!"

_"I told you to stay there. _You're too stubborn."

I had the nerve to crack a smile, then wince and roll over on to my back, gazing up at the frowning faces of my male guild mates. "I don't know," I said honestly. "How I got these powers of anything. I've kind of been trying to control them for a while, and I just needed them and submitted to it. It was extremely hard to control it." I looked over at Natsu. "And you saw that yourself. I wanted to tear apart everything in sight."

Gray sighed. "Why'd you need the power?"

I wasn't ready to answer that. "By the way, since when do you have crazy ice powers?"

"I'll answer your question when you answer mine."

I fake-glared at him. Then the buzzing got louder. "FACE!" I realized, hauling myself to my feet, leaning against Gray for support. "The FACE bombs are going off!"

Horror dawned on everyone's faces. "No!"

Then there was a loud crash that created sound waves. Behind us, Natsu's father, the Dragon King Igneel, had slammed his adversary Acnologia into the ground. "Don't give up, humans!" The roar was loud, his figure majestic and proud. Natsu smiled up at his Dad.

"The book," Natsu remembered. Gray picked it up in his hand. I noticed his tattoo had vanished.

"We have to destroy it," he said firmly.

Natsu shook his head. "No way! Igneel said to bring it to him."

"It has to be destroyed," Gray repeated.

I sighed desperately. "Guys, now is not the time-"

"I'll take that, thank you."

The book vanished from Gray's hand without so much of a wisp of smoke left. Gray squawked in disbelief. "Where'd it go?!"

Then, the worst person possible emerged from the shadows. Zeref, the Lord of Death himself. With the book, that had E.N.D. scrawled on the cover, clutched tightly in his hand. He smiled. "Mard Geer, you were close. You may rest now." And with a wave of his hand, the Tartaros leader dissolved into nothingness. The black mage smiled at us all. I felt my eyes widening and myself shaking slightly.

"Our battle will have to wait for another day," Zeref said quietly, staring at Natsu.

The pink-haired Dragon Slayer gritted his teeth.

Zeref stared at me next, and I felt like I would disintegrate on that very spot. "Child of Death," Zeref mused. "You have trouble coming your way." Then his face turned into a stern frown. "I see Acnologia followed up with his plan."

Before I could gather the courage to say anything, he vanished again, book gone with him.

Gray cursed loudly. Natsu looked like he might strangle the first person to touch him. I felt motionless.

Then the most miraculous thing happened.

The FACE bombs blew up.

No, not like 'erased all magic' thing. One by one, each FACE bomb ceased to exist, blowing up and becoming a ruined pile of rubble. Dragons soared the skies, their powerful forms destroying the many bombs. I sighed in relief and collapsed back on the ground. Igneel grinned coyly, reminding me of Natsu. Speaking of Natsu, he whooped and cheered.

But where was Marol?

I didn't sense her.

I turned towards Igneel, who stood with a motionless Acnologia under his claws. "Dragon King, Igneel?" I called, raising my voice. He looked down at me and I felt extremely nervous. "Do you... Do you know of an Ice Dragon?"

Igneel growled. "The only Ice Dragon known was Elnor, the Ice Dragon King, one of my old friends. He was one of the first to fall at Acnologia's claws." He glared down at the dragon.

My thoughts spun at a million miles an hour. The gears in my head felt like they had just snapped, broke, and crumbled into dust. "But..."

Gray staggered over next to me. Igneel gazed at me thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

"I... I'm an Ice Dragon Slayer," I said halfheartedly.

Igneel shook his head. "Impossible."

I didn't know what to do. Was everything I knew a lie? Why? Marol doesn't exist? How'd I learn the things I know now, then?

_Chi._

And then everything clicked.

I wish it didn't.

*****:::~~~:::*****

"NO!" I hollered, staggering away from Gray and closer to the pair of dragons. Acnologia craned his neck to get a look at me, and seemed to watch in amusement. "That's... that's impossible! I have memories! There's... There's no way! No way at all!"

Igneel glanced down. "Child, what are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Nicole," Natsu added, his tone questioning.

I just shook my head frantically. It couldn't be true. "I'm so stupid," I moaned. "_Chi _is Japanese. Sometimes it mean life force, or energy... but it can mean blood."

"That word the dragon told you?" Gray said.

I didn't answer. They didn't understand. They_ couldn't_ understand. I tried to run through everything in my head, trying to find some sort of clue to why it couldn't be true. But... it all made sense.

Igneel caught the terrified stare I gave Acnologia and tightened the grip around his neck, realization setting in. _"You didn't," _he rumbled, his voice dangerously low.

I heard the creature's voice for the first time. "You think I was oblivious to your little plans?" he rasped, his voice like a floorboard creaking. "She will help me over run the world, and then I'll kill her."

"No." Igneel's voice was firm. "I thought you detested humans."

"I do." Acnologia seemed to grin. "But you always had a weakness for humans."

He stared at me, like he was staring into my soul, and... and the hook on my memories- my _false _memories- shattered. Suddenly, it wasn't Marol that was making me catch food, it was Acnologia. It wasn't Marol training me, it was him. When we slept, I was huddled against a black stone wall while he curled up in a mass of black and ice blue lines. I saw myself waking up one day, with him standing at the edge of the cave, staring off into the sky. _"You're leaving," he said loudly._

_"Why?" Little me questioned. _

_"Because I said so. I've showed you enough. When the time comes, you will be a valuable weapon." He gazed down at me. "Fuyu Chi, you will be valuable." He raised a claw and tapped me on the forehead, which I knew now was replacing my memories with him with some of a non-existent Ice Dragon Queen. My younger self slumped over. Acnologia scooped me up in a claw and took flight, soaring away._

I gasped and clutched my head. "STOP!" I screamed. "Make it stop!" Sinking to my knees, I squeezed my head, like maybe enough force could bring out the memories.

_Why I knew his name before I saw him on Tenrou._

_Why I didn't react to the dragons arriving._

_Why I have the powers of a Chaos Dragon._

_Why the Destroyers hunted me._

_Why I had so much difficulty learning Ice Dragon Powers._

It all made horrible sense.

Acnologia was my foster dragon.

Not Marol.

ACNOLOGIA.

My name was never Nicole Emereon.

It was Fuyu. Fuyu Chi, apparently.

Natsu means summer in Japanese. Fuyu mean winter.

"You were to oppose Igneel's 'secret' weapon," the dragon rumbled. "I never bothered for your name when I picked you off the streets, at the ruins of a destroyed house. You were kicking a tree. I called you winter. Fuyu. Then I gave you false memories, where you thought you were supposed to be an Ice Dragon Slayer. Your previous Dragon Slayer qualities helped you pick it up."

"Nicole," Gray said quietly. "What is this?"

"Why'd you vanish?" Natsu asked his father, breaking a load of tension.

"We had to produce anti-bodies," Igneel rumbled. "So we could prevent you from turning into dragons like Acnologia did. We-"

Acnologia opened his massive jaw, and I felt my rush of emotions, all at once. My life was a lie. I curled up on the ground, tears tracking down my cheeks. Gasping, I looked up as Acnologia pushed himself up off the ground, surprising Igneel, and the two collided, soaring for the sky. "I raised you, Fuyu!" Acnologia roared, soaring away, claws locked with Igneel.

I gaped at them, wishing it wasn't true. But it was.

My father was a killer, a dragon who had no mercy and no purpose for me.

Gray knelt beside me as Natsu ran along the ground under his father. "He's my... He's my..." I gasped, unable to form a sentence, and then burst into tears. Gray opened his arms and I literally fell into them, sobbing loudly, face tucked into the side of his neck, arms against his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled tight as I cried, cried under the battling dragons at the realization I was born to be a murderer.

Pleasant.

*****:::~~~:::*****

Igneel was dead.

Acnologia ripped his side out.

My crying had slowed, and Gray had helped me stand, just in time to see my foster father rip Natsu's foster father's side out. Igneel seemed to fall in slow motion as Acnologia flew away. Natsu ran like no tomorrow to his falling father. I could only watch as he hit the ground and the other dragons descended around the Fairy Tail guild fighters.

"Do you..." Gray asked, motioning to the group.

I gasped and shuddered. "No. NO."

He nodded, created a chunk of ice out of thin air, and together we hobbled off. I caught bits and pieces of the conversations the dragons were having with their children. "Wait, where's Princess's dragon?" Gajeel was asking. I stiffened.

"And where is she?" Wendy added.

I knew Gajeel could probably sniff me out if he wanted. Instead he just looked at his dragon. "I think her dragon's name was Marol. Ice Dragon?"

"The only Ice Dragon in existence is dead, Elnor, the king."

I felt the confusion rolling off everyone like waves. I shook my head and kept moving, Gray staring at me peculiarly. "Please," I said quietly.

About a few minutes later Gray had me in a house. I think it was his. An apartment, maybe? I saw pictures framing the wall and a small amount of furniture. My vision hazed and I winced. Gray tucked an arm under my legs, hoisted my up, and then lowered me again onto the bed that hit the wall. I was too tired to protest. He pulled a thin navy blue blanket over top me and sat down next to me. "I'm sorry," he managed. "I had no clue."

"This changes everything," I mumbled. "I can't believe..."

"It doesn't," he said back, and at that moment I realized how much I loved him, right then and there. He moved his lips to my forehead, pressing them there for a minute, before laying down next to me and wrapping his arms around me. "Sleep."

And I did.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the plot twist~ Review if you liked!**


	64. Tartaros: Amends

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR 300 REVIEWS AAAAAAAAAAAA**

**I'm sorry this chapter is a bit late, I was on a trip last weekend :)**

**REVIEWS~**

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**Sasha Monroe: HUGS FOR NICOLE AND YOU!**

_**Previously:**_

_Igneel was dead._

_Acnologia ripped his side out._

_My crying had slowed, and Gray had helped me stand, just in time to see my foster father rip Natsu's foster father's side out. Igneel seemed to fall in slow motion as Acnologia flew away. Natsu ran like no tomorrow to his falling father. I could only watch as he hit the ground and the other dragons descended around the Fairy Tail guild fighters._

_"Do you..." Gray asked, motioning to the group._

_I gasped and shuddered. "No. NO."_

_He nodded, created a chunk of ice out of thin air, and together we hobbled off. I caught bits and pieces of the conversations the dragons were having with their children. "Wait, where's Princess's dragon?" Gajeel was asking. I stiffened._

_"And where is she?" Wendy added._

_I knew Gajeel could probably sniff me out if he wanted. Instead he just looked at his dragon. "I think her dragon's name was Marol. Ice Dragon?"_

_"The only Ice Dragon in existence is dead, Elnor, the king."_

_I felt the confusion rolling off everyone like waves. I shook my head and kept moving, Gray staring at me peculiarly. "Please," I said quietly._

_About a few minutes later Gray had me in a house. I think it was his. An apartment, maybe? I saw pictures framing the wall and a small amount of furniture. My vision hazed and I winced. Gray tucked an arm under my legs, hoisted my up, and then lowered me again onto the bed that hit the wall. I was too tired to protest. He pulled a thin navy blue blanket over top me and sat down next to me. "I'm sorry," he managed. "I had no clue."_

_"This changes everything," I mumbled. "I can't believe..."_

_"It doesn't," he said back, and at that moment I realized how much I loved him, right then and there. He moved his lips to my forehead, pressing them there for a minute, before laying down next to me and wrapping his arms around me. "Sleep."_

_And I did._

**Chapter 64: Tartaros: Amends**

**Nicole's POV**

I woke up cold.

Normally I'm not cold. But lately I've realized I CAN be cold. Like right now. Where was Gray?

From the light outside I was only passed out for an hour and a bit. From the absence of Gray's scent, he must've been gone about fifteen or ten minutes. I frowned, sitting up.

He had left me clothes.

There was a set of navy blue jeans, a black tank top, and a green jacket, the same thing I was wearing (of course I own extra copies!) and I gratefully changed, no longer smelling like someone had dragged me through Tartaros and back. Acnologia's horrific roar and dragon face popped into my head and I winced. Sniffing, I traced the scent. He... I think he went to visit his father's grave.

So I followed.

I had a lot of explaining to do.

*****:::~~~:::*****

I was right, unfortunately.

I trudged through the light snow, shivering a bit. My hair was filled with snowflakes. I tucked the jacket tighter around my body and found myself at a destroyed village, Gray's scent strong and comforting. Then I saw him, squatting on a rock, the grave in front of him marked with his parent's names- Mika and Silver. Unsure of myself, I took slow steps forward, quietly.

He heard me and turned around.

Surprise lit his gaze.

And then he turned around again.

"You weren't supposed to wake up for another while," he mumbled, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear.

I sighed. "I... Need to..."

He didn't move.

And then I decided to be an idiot.

"I killed your father," I blurted out, my face red from embarrassment and cold. That was probably the worst thing to say. Gray stiffened immediately, and turned, facing me, his expression shocked. "Wait," I said frantically, "Not like that. I mean I killed the necromancer keeping your father alive. I had to, I didn't have a choice, I had to stop FACE..." His shocked face turned to anger and I stared him in the eye, my gaze sad and wistful. "But that's not an excuse. You wanted to know why I needed those powers before? I couldn't kill him. I couldn't! I couldn't... kill your father..."

I blinked back tears and took a step backwards. "I know... That you probably don't want to see me right now... So I'll leave. If you ever accept my apology, I..."

He advanced.

I stood in the snow, head hung down, knowing that if he needed to punch me to feel better I'd let him do that. I felt hands on my shoulders, squeezing tight. I bit my lip, realizing I might cry. Then the grip slackened.

I looked up in surprise to find Gray Fullbuster was crying, the tears trailing down his cheeks as his forehead hit the top of my chest.

"Thank you..." He sobbed, sinking to his knees. In shock, I sank down with him, my knees hitting the snow, curled up next to Gray as he cried, and then I was crying to, my chin on the top of his head, my arms tucked around him. The snow hit the ground around us as we both cried. "I'm sorry... So sorry..."

I didn't say a word as we hugged, the cuddling making my heart burn and my eyes water. "You're very warm," he whispered, the trembling finally stopping.

I hugged him even tighter. "So are you."

*****:::~~~:::*****

We both sat on the edge of the large rock on the outskirts of the town, the snow finally halting, and with the snow went the tears. We both stared off in the distance.

"I will take down END," Gray promised, "I will. I promised my father."

I rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know you will."

"I think..." He sighed. "How does it feel knowing the lives of three people's parents were ruined in less than a day, all at Fairy Tail?" I knew the question was coming. That was his way of asking without directly bringing up my father.

"Gajeel and Wendy too," I added.

He didn't say anything.

I sighed and tucked my knees to my chest. "I really hope Natsu will forgive me."

"There's nothing he has to forgive you for," Gray said.

I glared. "My FATHER killed his Dad, who he was reunited with for about two minutes!" I punched myself in the leg. "And then I killed your father! Like father, like daughter." Another tear fell but I swiped it away.

"You," Gray interrupted, "are nothing like your father. You... You did what you had to." The words choked him, and sounded extremely forced.

I shook my head. "But you don't understand that!" I stood up quickly, tears threatening to escape again. "You don't forgive me for that! I don't forgive myself for that!" He tried to say something, but I was on a roll. "You don't get it! You don't! My entire life is a lie! I killed your father! And Acnologia killed Natsu's! I brought death to the Destroyers!"

"You're feeling bad for that now?!"

"That's not the point!" I roared. "So many people with Lightning Palace died because of me! Everyone dies because of me! Because of who... WHO I AM." The waterworks exploded and the water went free-fall down my face. "Where ever I go, I bring death with me!"

I turned on my heel and plunked down again, sobbing into my knees. My sobs were the only thing I heard for a minute. "So nobody can know," I said miserably. "Or else I'll be like a poison everybody's trying to avoid."

As soon as I felt his arms on me I started crying louder. He pulled me in and did the same thing for me I did for him- pulled close and didn't let go. I cried into his shoulder, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly guilty. He ran a hand through my hair and I felt like slapping it, but I didn't.

"I said it before," he murmured. "You're not Acnologia. You're Nicole."

"No, I'm Fuyu," I said miserably. "Winter. My name literally means Winter Blood."

"I like Nicole."

"...Me too."

Long silence.

"But Fuyu sounds cool too."

*****:::~~~:::*****

In the next hour I was back in Magnolia.

Gray decided to stay a bit longer at the graves and I let him. I needed to find Natsu. And I smelled him, just barely, leaving down with Happy. I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I possibly could. "NATSU! Natsu!"

I think he heard me, because the smell got increasingly stronger and when I turned a corner, he was halted in a street. Happy was floating above his head. I rested my hands on my knees and puffed. "My... God..."

"Nikki?" Natsu said uncertainly.

"Natsu," I breathed. "I... I'm really sorry."

There was a pause.

"For what... my father did," I continued.

He shrugged, pain riddling his eyes. "Don't apologize for him. You did nothing."

"I know, but..." I bit my lip. "Can you... not tell people about him?"

He grinned. "Don't see why, but sure!"

I rolled my eyes at his cheerfulness and slight stupidity. Then I realized he was packed. "Are you leaving?"

"Training," he replied breezily. "Lots of it."

"Be safe, Natsu," I said, and we hugged, and complete sibling-like hug.

He smirked. "Don't kill yourself somehow!"

And then he was gone, just a speck in the distance.

I soon I would be too.


	65. How Much Has Changed, One Year

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 304 I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYSS**

**Who's ready for some angst? WHO'S READY FOR SOME ANGST?**

**ME!**

**Kidding.**

**So now we proceed to the one year time skip. The beginning will not be directly in Nicole's point of view. Many flashbacks may occur. If things seem unclear, I'll try to clear them up with flashbacks! :) _Italics mean flashbacks!_**

**REVIEWS~**

**Karen Write: Exactly! We're very much evil. Thank you for the review!~**

**Dr4gonIc3F34th3r: Good for you for not listening XD and THANK YOUUUUUS**

**Sasha Monroe: I sob over that too; it shows Gray's development and I love it.**

_**Previously:**_

_In the next hour I was back in Magnolia._

_Gray decided to stay a bit longer at the graves and I let him. I needed to find Natsu. And I smelled him, just barely, leaving down with Happy. I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I possibly could. "NATSU! Natsu!"_

_I think he heard me, because the smell got increasingly stronger and when I turned a corner, he was halted in a street. Happy was floating above his head. I rested my hands on my knees and puffed. "My... God..."_

_"Nikki?" Natsu said uncertainly._

_"Natsu," I breathed. "I... I'm really sorry."_

_There was a pause._

_"For what... my father did," I continued._

_He shrugged, pain riddling his eyes. "Don't apologize for him. You did nothing."_

_"I know, but..." I bit my lip. "Can you... not tell people about him?"_

_He grinned. "Don't see why, but sure!"_

_I rolled my eyes at his cheerfulness and slight stupidity. Then I realized he was packed. "Are you leaving?"_

_"Training," he replied breezily. "Lots of it."_

_"Be safe, Natsu," I said, and we hugged, and complete sibling-like hug._

_He smirked. "Don't kill yourself somehow!"_

_And then he was gone, just a speck in the distance._

_I soon I would be too._

**Chapter 65: How Much Has Changed, One Year**

**Normal POV**

It had been one long, LONG, year.

Fairy Tail had disbanded.

The guild everyone had come to know and love was now broken and shattered, split up across Fiore. Everyone was absolutely furious, but Makarov held his ground. Fairy Tail was not to continue. But Natsu and Nicole were not there to hear that. Natsu had left a few days prior, and Nicole the day after. Lucy was the only one besides the Ice Dragon Slayer who knew what Natsu was doing, but Gray was the only one who had a distinct idea of where Nicole was.

_"I need time," she had said._

_He had frowned. "Why?"_

_"To forgive myself, and do something I need to do. I need answers." She had parted with a long hug before she took off into the forest, on foot, leaving Gray in a state of confusion and hurt. Why'd she leave?_

Now, Lucy was a reporter for Sorcerer's Weekly, alongside her 'cool' partner Jason. But the Fairy Tail mark was still embroidered on her hand, pink and soft.

And then Natsu returned.

One year later, at the time of the eighth annual Grand Magic Games, Natsu showed up, taking out everyone in the field, and proceeding to shock the kingdom of Fiore once more. With Lucy by his side, the duo (and Happy) set off to bring back Fairy Tail.

Their first stop was Lamia Scale, in an effort to see Wendy again. At first, Wendy refused, but after an attack on the city, Wendy decided to return to the guild she called her home with her faithful friend Carla, leaving behind Lyon and Chelia and all her new friends.

We join our heroes now as they are on their quest to find Nicole Emereon and Gray Fullbuster.

"So, where'd Nikki and Popsicle end up?" Natsu wondered aloud as they strolled down a path.

Lucy smiled. "Well, I heard reports of a village completely frozen over with ice, just a little farther up."

Wendy giggled. "That's got that pair's name written all over it!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered. The five continued on.

And found themselves at a frozen village.

"Reminds you of the Sun Village, eh?" Happy mumbled. Carla nodded in agreement.

Natsu tapped the ice and sniffed. "Strange. Gray and Nicole's scents are here. But extremely stale."

"What?" Lucy cried. "But they should be here! I've got no clue where they could be!" She tugged at her long, blonde ponytail and sighed in frustration. Wendy looked up at her sadly.

But the pink-haired Dragon Slayer tipped his head up to the sky. "We have to go to Sabertooth."

"Huh?" Happy said, confused. "Why?"

"It's not too far, is it?" Natsu continued.

Lucy shook her head. "No, it's not..."

"Wendy," Natsu instructed, "stay here and look for any sign of the two, and help some people. They're frozen in the village." The observation was true, some people were stuck frozen in the area. The petite Dragon Slayer nodded and set to work. He turned back to Lucy and Happy. "No questions. We're going to Sabertooth."

*****:::~~~:::*****

"Lucy-san!" Yukino squealed, embracing her old friend as she stepped through the door. "It's wonderful to see you again!"

"You too," Lucy said with a smile. The Sabertooth guild was alive and buzzing with noise, achingly reminding Lucy of her old guild.

"There's a voice I haven't heard in a while," someone remarked, lumbering out of the darkness.

Natsu and Lucy's jaws hit the floor. "STING?!"

Sting was the shape of a bowling ball, completely round, chubby cheeks and everything. "Natsu-san and Lucy-san!" he chuckled. "Natsu, you haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you!" Natsu replied cheerily.

"Oh, yes, he HAS!" Lucy yelped.

Lecter bounded up to Happy. "It's good to see you!" Happy replied the same.

"Where's Rogue?" Natsu asked suddenly. "I need to see him, like, now."

Sting shrugged. "By the request board. Arguing for a job, or something." He gestured to the board.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer was indeed where Sting said he was, by the request board, which was filled with papers overlapping each other. He had a job paper gripped in one hand, with Frosch perched on his shoulder and Minerva standing behind him. He was having a conversation with a girl. Silence fell over the guild as the sudden realization slapped everyone- hard. Across the face.

Nicole- Fuyu- turned away from Rogue and stared at Lucy and Natsu. "You guys shouldn't be here."

**:~*~:**

"And you should?" Lucy asked in bewilderment.

Nicole had changed. Her outfit included. She had her dark blue jean shorts on with strappy black sandals. She was wearing a black long sleeved tight top, that ended under her chest, so it was like a crop top with sleeves. Over top Nicole pulled an ice blue vest, her signature colour.

But her hair! It was visibly cut. Her ponytail barely fell anywhere over her shoulders- it barely stayed in the hair elastic.

"I'm a part of the guild," she said simply. She pulled aside the vest to reveal a black Sabertooth mark where her green Fairy Tail one should've been.

Happy looked up at his partner. "Did you know she was here?"

Natsu shook his head. "I was looking for Rogue, but..."

"Are you okay, Nicole?" Lucy asked tentatively. "We're looking for Gray."

Her jaw tightened. "Please don't say his name." She left the job request to Rogue and stalked over to her former guild mates.

"You CUT your HAIR!" Natsu screeched, throwing his hands over his head. "WHY?!"

"You barely flinched at Sting," Nicole responded bitterly. "Why me?"

Natsu shook his head. "Because you never change! You know what? We talk outside." He looked around to the Sabertooth mages. "She's out of your guild now! We're taking her!"

Now Nicole looked slightly frazzled. "Wait, you-"

But Natsu grabbed her wrist and dragged her outside before anyone could protest.

**:~*~:**

"Explain," Lucy started as soon as they were all seated on a bench around town. When she didn't say anything Lucy continued. "We saw the ice village."

Nicole Emereon sighed. "I joined the guild about six months ago. I'll admit, the village wasn't very... nice of me."

"So it was you."

She nodded. "Not intentional. I just..." she shook her head.

"Nicole." Natsu stood up. "We need to find Gray. You know where he is."

"He's beyond saving," she snapped. "I tried. He's gone."

"And what about this?" Natsu held up the job request Nicole had been trying to take from Rogue. "Destroy the black magic cult Avatar? That's where he is, isn't it?"

Nicole glared. "So what?!"

"Calm down," Lucy soothed. "Start again."

Nicole laced her fingers, struggling to find words and breath. "Gray and I were living in that village, training and working together, going on jobs, the usual." She leaned back. "And then, five months ago, things got weird. Black marks appeared on his body, like during the Tartaros battle. He said I had nothing to worry about, that they didn't matter. But then he up and vanished. He'd been gone before, for a day or two at a time, but after a week I went looking and caught his scent, in the Avatar home base." She choked out her words. "And... he's turned bad. I tried to reason with him, but..." Nicole gulped. "It's like he's a completely different person.

"So I joined Sabertooth," she continued. "Not publicly, of course. If anyone needed my name at a job it was... just not given. I was hidden."

Silence followed her words. Natsu looked her in the eye. "A year ago, when the dragons came after the Games, Future Rogue told me Frosch would be killed by Gray in a year."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "That's why you wanted to come here."

"We're going to find Gray," Natsu said firmly. "I can promise you that." He turned to Nicole. "I promise."

Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Well, I'm coming." She stood up. "Before you say I'm hypocritical, I... I haven't seen him in six months. I need to try." She bit her lip.

Natsu grinned. "And that's a promise!"


	66. Avatar: Painful Memories

**Hello again! So I'm gonna try a new thing- at the bottom of the chapter I will put a couple sentences from the _next_ chapter, to keep you hooked! How does that sound?**

**I LOVE YOU AND ALL YOUR REVIEWS SO MUCH!~~~~~~~~~**

**REVIEWS~**

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**Previously:**

_"Explain," Lucy started as soon as they were all seated on a bench around town. When she didn't say anything Lucy continued. "We saw the ice village."_

_Nicole Emereon sighed. "I joined the guild about six months ago. I'll admit, the village wasn't very... nice of me."_

_"So it was you."_

_She nodded. "Not intentional. I just..." she shook her head._

_"Nicole." Natsu stood up. "We need to find Gray. You know where he is."_

_"He's beyond saving," she snapped. "I tried. He's gone."_

_"And what about this?" Natsu held up the job request Nicole had been trying to take from Rogue. "Destroy the black magic cult Avatar? That's where he is, isn't it?"_

_Nicole glared. "So what?!"_

_"Calm down," Lucy soothed. "Start again."_

_Nicole laced her fingers, struggling to find words and breath. "Gray and I were living in that village, training and working together, going on jobs, the usual." She leaned back. "And then, five months ago, things got weird. Black marks appeared on his body, like during the Tartaros battle. He said I had nothing to worry about, that they didn't matter. But then he up and vanished. He'd been gone before, for a day or two at a time, but after a week I went looking and caught his scent, in the Avatar home base." She choked out her words. "And... he's turned bad. I tried to reason with him, but..." Nicole gulped. "It's like he's a completely different person._

_"So I joined Sabertooth," she continued. "Not publicly, of course. If anyone needed my name at a job it was... just not given. I was hidden."_

_Silence followed her words. Natsu looked her in the eye. "A year ago, when the dragons came after the Games, Future Rogue told me Frosch would be killed by Gray in a year."_

_Lucy's jaw dropped. "That's why you wanted to come here."_

_"We're going to find Gray," Natsu said firmly. "I can promise you that." He turned to Nicole. "I promise."_

_Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Well, I'm coming." She stood up. "Before you say I'm hypocritical, I... I haven't seen him in six months. I need to try." She bit her lip._

_Natsu grinned. "And that's a promise!"_

**Chapter 66: Avatar: Painful ****Memories**

**Nicole's POV**

So much has changed in a year.

My hair is half gone, for one thing.

Natsu, Lucy, Happy and I were tracking down the Avatar cult. That was the job in the first place- destroy Avatar.

_"I have to take a job," I said quickly._

_Natsu's jaw dropped. "No way! We hafta find Gray! We just explained all this!"_

_I shook my head. "My job request was to destroy Avatar. That's... well, that's where I think Gray is." I stood up, my hair blowing loosely in the wind from the small ponytail. Lucy and Natsu nodded. Happy floated above my head, nodding grimly. We hopped on a bull and left._

I've been working on preventing motion sickness. None of it worked. I can ride on animals, like bulls, cows, horses now, but as soon as I step in a dumb carriage or something I collapse, and there's nothing I can do about it. Anyways, I led us to the forest surrounding Avatar.

Then I thought of something. "Hold up. Natsu, Lucy, how'd you know I'd be at Sabertooth?"

"That's a good question!" Lucy glared at Natsu.

Natsu sighed. "Way back when, at the Dragon King Festival, when I fought Future Rogue, he told me to watch out for Frosch a year from then. Because Frosch would be killed by Gray."

_"Him?!" _I hissed. I could believe it.

"That's why I went to Saber, to see Rogue and Frosch," Natsu finished. Lucy looked puzzled but didn't say anything until she looked at me. "Nicole, how come I never heard of you? I was a reporter. Surely if you were that powerful, someone would report you and where you were."

I didn't say anything for a while. My footsteps crunched down on the leaves. "I obviously didn't want publicity. If people knew I was there, that'd be disastrous. So I took on monster fighting jobs, like training, only. I avoided human contact as much as possible."

"Like a ninja," Natsu remarked, a sly look crossing his face. I rolled my eyes- same old Natsu- and stopped suddenly in the path. "We're here."

Natsu grinned. "All right! Let's go-"

"Hold it!" Lucy argued. "We can't alert everyone that we're here. We don't know much about the enemy yet, so a frontal assault isn't best." She paused and looked up at Happy and Natsu. "We can use Virgo's tunneling power to sneak in."

I nodded along. Sensible enough.

Lucy summoned Virgo, who appeared with her wrists, knees, chest, and ankles bound in ropes. After everyone (except myself) asked Virgo if she was all right, she only said she was punishing herself. Flushed, Lucy tore them off as Virgo excused herself by saying, "I was giving myself punishment!" Lucy sighed, and in a flash of gold light, her outfit turned into a maid uniform, her hair turning into pigtails.

"New power, Lucy?" I asked quietly.

She nodded vigorously. I had to admit I was a bit surprised, but I kept a poker face. "Now I can fight with my spirits!"

A minute later we had tunneled into the Avatar base. I stood up and sniffed. _Gray's scent. Fresh. _I shivered. The memories flooded over me like a wave, and I clutched a hand to my head.

***:~:***

_I had broken down the wall. Piece of cake. I had alerted the entire area of my presence. No big._

_I marched down the hall, unintentionally leaving a burst of ice spikes at every step. I was angry, upset, betrayed. I was about to find out why._

_Some oldish man with a black beard and weird robes, screaming "TEA!" leaped at me from an open doorway, throwing different weapons my way. I dodged them all with a paper's width on every side. Dangerously close. He shot a wooden horse at me and I vaulted over it, planting my boot in his head and then my fist in his gut, effectively knocking him out._

_"...N...Nicole?"_

_His voice._

_I turned angrily towards the doorway. There he was. Why did he look so different? Black hair, normally messy and loose, slicked back. Those same black, hideous scars and tattoos etching themselves all over his body. His black coat hung loose._

_"What are you doing here?" He requested angrily._

_And then I exploded._

***:~:***

This was the same doorway that Gray, and the tea man, had come through. The walls, I remember clearly, were stone. The far wall was lined with metal bars for prisoners. Weapons and torture devices hung on the walls.

"Nicole?" Lucy was staring at me with concern. "You blanked out."

"Fine," I snapped. "Let's move."

I didn't intend to be so rude, but I wasn't in the mood. But Natsu was in the mood. "GRAY! You're here, right?! COME OUT WHEREVER YOU AAAAAARE!

"What was that?!" Lucy protested. "What was the point of sneaking in?!"

"I smell him," the pink-haired slayer argued. "I smell Gray. He's here."

We moved through the door way, my eyes squeezed shut the whole time. We found ourselves in a new room. A little pipsqueak with a turban, clutching a doll, was perched on a ledge. "This is a secret base! What's yous doing here?"

"That's Mr. Cursey!" Happy squawked, pointing at the doll.

The little guy grinned and hopped down. "You already know Mr. Cursey? Perfect! Got him off a guy at Grimiore Heart! It's one of the world's scariest black magics-"

He was cut off when I slammed the side of my hand into his head.

I was standing above him, just hitting him down, having moved so quickly nobody noticed. I normally might've been embarrassed for the fact Lucy and Happy were gawking at me but I didn't care. "There," I said with a bored tone. "Let's move-"

"Intruders!"

It was the tea guy, flinging his weapons- candles, hammers, axes- and charging at us, just as I remembered him. "You should not have the abili-tea to be here!" he roared, directed at me. "It was all ill luck that you entered my torture room!"

He launched his various weapons at me, but Natsu stepped in the way. I jumped and rolled to the far side of the room, away from the enemies and Natsu. Natsu jumped and dodged, kicking back the wooden horse, but then knocking himself into a cabinet. The tea guy cackled, "Punishment done to a tea!" but Natsu melted the entire cabinet, counter-attacking and knocking the enemy into the back wall.

"Two down..."

A hulking black guy leaped at Natsu from behind, and I jumped in, slamming my palm into his chest and then kicking multiple times. I smacked the beast with my heel and he fell backwards.

"Make that three," Natsu tried.

"How... Are we defeated by such mere children..." the tea guy whimpered.

"He's out of your league."

It was _his _voice.

Gray stalked down the stairs. "I'll take him down."

***:~:***

_"Gray fucking Fullbuster!" I ranted, storming up to him. "You leave for a month, and then ask what I'm doing here? You promised never to gone for more than a week at a time. Where have you been?" I leaned back on my heels and huffed. "And why are you dressed like that? I've been waiting for almost ever!"_

_"Nicole," he repeated. "You shouldn't be here."_

_"Neither should you," I retorted. "What's with the black marks?"_

_"You should leave," he said quietly. His eyes were pleading. "Now."_

_"Is this the intruder, Gray?"_

_A tall, extremely busty woman walked down a set of stairs leading into the room. She had white hair flowing down her back, dangling heart earrings, and was wearing nothing but what looked like a skimpy bikini thing. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Why are you fraternizing with such an ugly, flat-chested thing, Gray?"_

_I know I flushed, and I was upset too, but he might have flushed too. "Why, you little-"_

_"Nicole!" Gray repeated, sternly. "Leave before I make you."_

_I was taken aback. "Make me? What do you..."_

_"She doesn't know?" The white-haired chick stalked over to us and I clenched my fist. "Explain, Gray. I recognize her as the girl you worked with in the Grand Magic Games. Prove your allegiance to us."  
_

_"Allegiance?" I whispered._

_Gray looked at me, and for a second I thought I saw a sense of regret in his eyes. But they hardened and he was glaring at me. "I've joined Avatar. Nicole, you need to leave, before I make you."_

_"Don't make me laugh," I scowled. _

_The girl smirked. "She's such an oblivious thing."_

_"Briar, enough," Gray snapped. "She's leaving now."_

_"No," I argued, "she is not. Don't talk about me like I'm not here. I'm not leaving until you come with me."_

_Gray steadied himself. "Drop it, Nicole. Stop pretending like we're friends." He smacked his hand in his palm. "I'm a part of Avatar."_

_But I was stuck on his words. "Pretend?" I hollered. "I'm not pretending! You've always been my friend! We lived in a house together for the last five months! You know everything about me!"_

_"But you don't know a thing about me," Gray hissed, cracking my heart. Briar, the odd girl, nodded along cruelly. He threw a hand downwards at the ground, and a row of spikes popped up, separating us. I jumped back, surprised and hurt._

_With a wave of my hand the ice vanished, leaving me angrily facing the duo. "I... I... Why are you doing this?!" I roared, tears dotting the corners of my eyes. I felt broken, lost, and completely and utterly betrayed. But I would never let them see me cry. "Gray, you know how much you mean to me! Why are you doing this?! I can't believe you! I thought... I thought... Ugh!" I stomped my foot down in anger. Ice grew in large icicle-like spikes around me. One knocked Briar away from Gray. "I thought you might have loved me," I whispered, my heart shattering into a million pieces. _

_And then it cracked some more. _

_"I don't," he hissed back, his voice pained. And then, quieter, "I'm sorry."_

_And then I ran, the entire fortress erupting in an icy volcano, and I escaped, pushing through a wall, my chaos magic mixing with my ice and everything around me froze and burst apart. _

_I ran, completely lost and betrayed. He had been gone for only a month, and this was the change?_

_I didn't allow myself to cry until I reached our old house._

_I screamed, in frustration, in betrayal, in anger, in sadness, in loss, and my powers went haywire again, the entire village freezing over. Tears hit the ice under my feet. I fell to my knees. An ice shard vaporized in my hand. I looked at my reflection in the ice. Stupid. Weak. Ugly._

_So I sliced the ice through my hair, right under my hair elastic, the dirty brown locks falling to the floor. _

_I then collapsed._

_Sobbing._

_And screaming._

***:~:***

* * *

**_Up Next:_**

"I haven't seen you use your magic intentionally in over half a year."

"Stop it! Just stop!"

"We've been waiting for you! Nicole has!"

"I erased Fairy Tail from my past."

"LUCY!"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed :)**


	67. Avatar: So We Meet Again

**Hello again!~**

**REVIEWS~**

**Dr4gonIc3F34th3r: ;-; Those poor souls...**

**SashaMonroe: Aww thanks so so much! :3**

**ftl: Thank you very much!**

**_Previously:_**

_"Gray fucking Fullbuster!" I ranted, storming up to him. "You leave for a month, and then ask what I'm doing here? You promised never to gone for more than a week at a time. Where have you been?" I leaned back on my heels and huffed. "And why are you dressed like that? I've been waiting for almost ever!"_

_"Nicole," he repeated. "You shouldn't be here."_

_"Neither should you," I retorted. "What's with the black marks?"_

_"You should leave," he said quietly. His eyes were pleading. "Now."_

_"Is this the intruder, Gray?"_

_A tall, extremely busty woman walked down a set of stairs leading into the room. She had white hair flowing down her back, dangling heart earrings, and was wearing nothing but what looked like a skimpy bikini thing. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Why are you fraternizing with such an ugly, flat-chested thing, Gray?"_

_I know I flushed, and I was upset too, but he might have flushed too. "Why, you little-"_

_"Nicole!" Gray repeated, sternly. "Leave before I make you."_

_I was taken aback. "Make me? What do you..."_

_"She doesn't know?" The white-haired chick stalked over to us and I clenched my fist. "Explain, Gray. I recognize her as the girl you worked with in the Grand Magic Games. Prove your allegiance to us."  
_

_"Allegiance?" I whispered._

_Gray looked at me, and for a second I thought I saw a sense of regret in his eyes. But they hardened and he was glaring at me. "I've joined Avatar. Nicole, you need to leave, before I make you."_

_"Don't make me laugh," I scowled. _

_The girl smirked. "She's such an oblivious thing."_

_"Briar, enough," Gray snapped. "She's leaving now."_

_"No," I argued, "she is not. Don't talk about me like I'm not here. I'm not leaving until you come with me."_

_Gray steadied himself. "Drop it, Nicole. Stop pretending like we're friends." He smacked his hand in his palm. "I'm a part of Avatar."_

_But I was stuck on his words. "Pretend?" I hollered. "I'm not pretending! You've always been my friend! We lived in a house together for the last five months! You know everything about me!"_

_"But you don't know a thing about me," Gray hissed, cracking my heart. Briar, the odd girl, nodded along cruelly. He threw a hand downwards at the ground, and a row of spikes popped up, separating us. I jumped back, surprised and hurt._

_With a wave of my hand the ice vanished, leaving me angrily facing the duo. "I... I... Why are you doing this?!" I roared, tears dotting the corners of my eyes. I felt broken, lost, and completely and utterly betrayed. But I would never let them see me cry. "Gray, you know how much you mean to me! Why are you doing this?! I can't believe you! I thought... I thought... Ugh!" I stomped my foot down in anger. Ice grew in large icicle-like spikes around me. One knocked Briar away from Gray. "I thought you might have loved me," I whispered, my heart shattering into a million pieces. _

_And then it cracked some more. _

_"I don't," he hissed back, his voice pained. And then, quieter, "I'm sorry."_

_And then I ran, the entire fortress erupting in an icy volcano, and I escaped, pushing through a wall, my chaos magic mixing with my ice and everything around me froze and burst apart. _

_I ran, completely lost and betrayed. He had been gone for only a month, and this was the change?_

_I didn't allow myself to cry until I reached our old house._

_I screamed, in frustration, in betrayal, in anger, in sadness, in loss, and my powers went haywire again, the entire village freezing over. Tears hit the ice under my feet. I fell to my knees. An ice shard vaporized in my hand. I looked at my reflection in the ice. Stupid. Weak. Ugly._

_So I sliced the ice through my hair, right under my hair elastic, the dirty brown locks falling to the floor. _

_I then collapsed._

_Sobbing._

_And screaming._

***:~:***

* * *

**Chapter 67: Avatar: So We Meet Again**

**Nicole's POV**

He strode out the door and down the stairs like he owned the world and I found myself gritting my teeth as I felt lost in that same damn memory of him. He hadn't changed much since I last saw him- still the same odd attire and slicked-back hair, but an even colder expression in his eyes. He didn't even react when he saw me.

"How've you been?" Natsu said with a smirk.

And with a lovely way of greeting each other, they both ran at the other and slammed their fists into the side of each other's face, then jumped back. Gray's expression was hard and cold, but Natsu's was unbelievably playful and and he seemed to be enjoying this. Lucy and Virgo watched in equal shock and I glared at the floor. _I will never admit I still miss him._

Then Lucy found her voice. "Stop it! Just stop!"

Gray ignored her, charging again. "What did you come her for, anyways?"

"Well, what're you doing in a place like this?" Natsu retorted, blocking Gray's fist with a fiery arm.

"That's my business, not yours!" Gray fired back, moving in again for another attack.

I felt like I had to do something. I wanted to. My best friend and my ex-friend were fighting, and it was serious, not just a guild brawl. I wanted it to stop, but I thought that if I intruded I would make it worse. "You've got people waiting for you! We've been waiting for you! Nicole has!"

I wanted to curse Natsu. _Don't bring me into this!_

Gray's reaction barely changed. "We're reviving Fairy Tail!" Natsu shouted. "And we need you in it!"

The Ice Mage slid backwards. "Pathetic. Fairy Tail doesn't exist anymore!"

He brought his arm down in a long sweeping motion, a barrage of icy spikes heading towards Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer waved his arm in a swipe across his body, and a wave of fire ran out to meet it.

Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I stepped in between the two, and thrust my arms out to the side, like I was telling both of them to stop. A tug in my gut- something I hadn't felt for a long time- helped me drag sheets of ice from the ground. Two huge, thick walls burst out of nowhere, one in between me and Natsu and the other between Gray and I. I felt the shock rolling off in waves. I gritted my teeth. _There I go again._

The ice vanished after a second of shocked pause. My hands now clenched in fists, I glared at the ground.

Gray recovered first. "I haven't seen you use your magic intentionally in over half a year."

"Bastard," I spat, "You haven't been around to see it."

"You haven't used it in forever," he hissed.

Natsu inhaled. "Nikki, let me take care of this."

"No."

My snarl surprised even myself. "He's mine," I hissed coldly. So I lunged.

Gray had clearly not been expecting me to hammer my fist into his face. He stumbled backwards. "WHY?!" I hollered, stomping my foot. The ice propelled itself under Gray and shot him upwards. I was barely aware that my hair was fading to red. "Why, Fullbuster?!"

He coughed and stared at me. "You're losing it, Nicole-"

"I don't care!" I screamed, a black magic circle appearing around my feet. Black shadows of sorts skidded across the ground at Gray, and he barely managed to roll away. Lucy shouted my name and I didn't hear it. I ran at Gray, my black eyes ready to let chaos rain down on him.

And then I stopped.

I noticed him stare up at me, wondering why I stopped, but a horrible pain was hitting me... from inside. My stomach felt like there was something living there, eating its way out. I grimaced, squeezing my eyes shut, and I sank to the floor. The pain was intensifying. Like a black virus, the huge pain was spreading and I couldn't take it.

"Nicole!" Lucy shouted, her voice barely a buzz.

"Uggh..." I hissed through my teeth and stared up at Gray painfully, the beads of sweat collecting on my face. He almost looked... concerned. No, he's standing up. I imagined it, that's all.

"Is that you, Mary?" he mumbled.

I smelled a new presence, something innocent but somehow evil. "So, who are these people?" A new voice chirped. "Old friends of yours from before, Gray? Friends from that guild that went belly-up?"

The pain was absolutely terrible. I summoned some of my chaos magic- maybe I could control it- and it lessened the pain, a bit. I put one foot down, and then another, and struggled with pushing myself up from the floor. Panting, I shuddered, trying to keep myself held up. I felt stares.

Mary seemed puzzled. "I thought she was weak, from that weak guild. How can she stand?"

And that ticked me off.

So I stumbled forwards and punched her in the face.

I felt my fist connect and she sailed backwards, hitting the back wall. The pain vanished and I gasped in relief, standing up straight. My eyes intense, I glared at Mary, who was rubbing her head, the veins along my neck pulsing. "You can call me weak. I know it. But, _never_ insult the guild that taught me how to control that weakness."

"I bagged you!" A familiar cackle echoed through the chamber and the tea man appeared, throwing bulky chains over Lucy and Natsu. They must have been magic-resistant, because as soon as they closed on Lucy's wrists, Virgo vanished. The little creepy dude emerged, and Happy did an awkward yoga pose, under the control of the curse-doll.

"LUCY!" Natsu howled. He stood up and lunged forwards, dragging his captor behind him.

"You shouldn't have stuck your nose in where you weren't wanted, Natsu," Gray mumbled, staring at the floor, like he was in a trance.

Suddenly the horrible pain in my gut was back, and I hissed and crouched. I withstood it once, I can do it again.

"Don't move."

If I moved a centimeter to the right I'd run into a black sword. If I moved at all, I wouldn't have a head anymore. The only thing I could do was breath heavily and try to control the unbearable pain in my stomach. The man standing above me stilled the sword.

"Snap out of it, Gray!" Natsu howled.

"Don't you get it?" Gray argued, shedding his coat. "I erased Fairy Tail from my past."

His chest was covered in the creepy black marks, and where his Fairy Tail mark should've been was the mark of Avatar.

"Gray..." Natsu hissed between his teeth. I stared up at him.

_What happened to you?_

* * *

**Up Next:**

"Operation Purify?"

"I think you should tell me what brought you here, before the young lady loses her feet."

"Dammit! You people just ruined everything!"

"Holy shit..."

"Come at us! Give it all you got!"


	68. Avatar: Broken Brain

**I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I have been extremely busy and just got hooked on a new manga (so people have experienced the same thing know the difficulties or balancing this new anime and updating)**

**REVIEW~**

**SashaMonroe: Thanks so much for the review! :) :)**

**Previously:**

_Mary seemed puzzled. "I thought she was weak, from that weak guild. How can she stand?"_

_And that ticked me off._

_So I stumbled forwards and punched her in the face._

_I felt my fist connect and she sailed backwards, hitting the back wall. The pain vanished and I gasped in relief, standing up straight. My eyes intense, I glared at Mary, who was rubbing her head, the veins along my neck pulsing. "You can call me weak. I know it. But, never insult the guild that taught me how to control that weakness."_

_"I bagged you!" A familiar cackle echoed through the chamber and the tea man appeared, throwing bulky chains over Lucy and Natsu. They must have been magic-resistant, because as soon as they closed on Lucy's wrists, Virgo vanished. The little creepy dude emerged, and Happy did an awkward yoga pose, under the control of the curse-doll._

_"LUCY!" Natsu howled. He stood up and lunged forwards, dragging his captor behind him._

_"You shouldn't have stuck your nose in where you weren't wanted, Natsu," Gray mumbled, staring at the floor, like he was in a trance._

_Suddenly the horrible pain in my gut was back, and I hissed and crouched. I withstood it once, I can do it again._

_"Don't move."_

_If I moved a centimeter to the right I'd run into a black sword. If I moved at all, I wouldn't have a head anymore. The only thing I could do was breath heavily and try to control the unbearable pain in my stomach. The man standing above me stilled the sword._

_"Snap out of it, Gray!" Natsu howled._

_"Don't you get it?" Gray argued, shedding his coat. "I erased Fairy Tail from my past."_

_His chest was covered in the creepy black marks, and where his Fairy Tail mark should've been was the mark of Avatar._

_"Gray..." Natsu hissed between his teeth. I stared up at him._

_What happened to you?_

**Chapter 68: Avatar: Broken Brain**

**Nicole's POV**

We had been chained to the walls of the prison room. Captured. The scents were receding, like everyone was leaving the evil base. But unfortunately, tea-man decided to pay us a visit. Completely and utterly humiliated and frustrated, I slumped against the wall, hands cuffed tightly, grumbling curses to myself.

"There's gotta be something possessing him," Lucy muttered. "Or maybe someone's manipulating him."

"Aye," Happy agreed.

A loud clang rang out, like metal hitting metal. I raised my head slightly. The tea dude appeared, stalking forwards slowly. He bowed.

_"He just bowed to empty air!" _Lucy howled.

"Scary!" Happy added.

Natsu was apparently fed up with waiting and hurled himself at the cage bars, his shoulder colliding with the metal. The bars did not budge. "Where is Gray?! Bring him here now!"

Green Tea man shook his head. "Gray-dono is no longer present. My fellow Avatar members have all left to carry out Operation Purify." His huge, bushy eyebrows knitted together. "I have remained to extract information from you, specifically, who sent you here."

"Operation Purify?" Happy wondered.

Tea Man launched into an explanation about what Operation Purify was, but I was barely listening. The next time I looked up, Lucy's handcuffs had magically raised themselves, taking her with them. "His magic is torture devices!" Happy struggled in his large cuff that wrapped firmly around his body. As Natsu argued for him to let Lucy go, his handcuffs and Happy got thrown back against the wall. Oh, that meant mine as well. My head hit the back wall with a thunk.

"This should give you an excellent view of my torture show," he cackled evilly.

"Lucy!" Natsu howled.

The blonde surveyed the tray of weapons in front of her. I followed her gaze. It was a torturer's dream- hammers, nails, clamps, spiked scissors, whips, hot wax...

Awfully disturbing.

"Water torture, rope torture, foot-sole-licking torture, which will you choose?"

Lucy sighed. "What are you, some sort of creepy perv? _And I wish you'd stop bowing to empty air! _It freaks me out!"

"Foot licking," Natsu suggested idiotically. "That one doesn't sound as bad."

I had to agree, but I wasn't about to- gasp- _say something._

**((I'm giving up on you))**

**(I'm sorry I had to)**

"Nooo!" Lucy whined. "It sounds so wrong!"

Tea Man launched into a detailed explanation about a goat licking through the skin of the foot forever and ever. Natsu's, Happy's and my own eyes went completely white, in disgust and surprise. "Holy shit..." I whispered.

"Shall we try it?" he asked, ripping off Lucy's socks.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Lucy shouted, wriggling around.

"I think you should tell me what brought you here, before the young lady loses her feet." He snarled.

Natsu gritted his teeth. "I already told you! We're here to bring Gray back!"

"Gray-dono is one of us now," he argued, the goat drawing closer to Lucy's feet.'

"He is one of us," the pink-haired slayer argued. "If he's lost faith in himself, we'll believe in him instead."

"SILENCE!" he howled. The cuffs around Lucy's feet split in two and threw her legs apart. The goat looked confused. Tea Dude jumped over top of Lucy with his axe raised. "I'll slice you in two? Do you believe in Gray now?"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Natsu and I howled at the same time.

And then he completely froze over, turning into a complete ice statue.

"Nikki?" Natsu asked in confusion. "Was that you?"

I shook my head.

Gray walked out from behind out torturer and glared at us, hard, for a long second. "Dammit! You people just ruined everything!" He started to ruffle his hair, returning it to its natural, messy look. I gaped in shock. What's going on?

Gray pulled out a pocket lacrima and the black marks on his body started to fade, leaving his skin bare again. "This is Code Blue. We've got trouble."

All four of us in the cell blinked in confusion. "No... No, not that," Gray argued into the device. "Yeah."

A second of silence passed again. "Talk to him yourself," Gray said, thrusting the lacrima device out to Natsu.

"What is it?" Natsu asked into the device.

"Is that you, Natsu?"

Erza?

"Oh for pity's sake," she scolded. "You've really ruined Gray's infiltration plan, didn't you?"

Infiltration plan?

This entire time...

He was a spy?

My mind completely crumbled. I should've been dead- a crumbled brain, a shattered heart. The gears spinning a thousand, no, a million miles an hour didn't lead to a conclusion.

...what do I do now?

* * *

**Up Next:**

"I still think of you guys as my friends?"

"Come at us! Give it all you got!"

"What's wrong with you, Nikki?!"

"Hey! It's the army!"


	69. Avatar: Oh, My Mind is Exploding

**Hello again! Here is the next chapter! I have exams this week... ;-; I may or may not come out alive.**

**REVIEW~**

**Dr4gonIc3F34th3r: XD XD Thanks for reviewing!~~ :D :D**

**_Previously:_**

_"SILENCE!" he howled. The cuffs around Lucy's feet split in two and threw her legs apart. The goat looked confused. Tea Dude jumped over top of Lucy with his axe raised. "I'll slice you in two? Do you believe in Gray now?"_

_"DON'T YOU DARE!" Natsu and I howled at the same time._

_And then he completely froze over, turning into a complete ice statue._

_"Nikki?" Natsu asked in confusion. "Was that you?"_

_I shook my head._

_Gray walked out from behind out torturer and glared at us, hard, for a long second. "Dammit! You people just ruined everything!" He started to ruffle his hair, returning it to its natural, messy look. I gaped in shock. What's going on?_

_Gray pulled out a pocket lacrima and the black marks on his body started to fade, leaving his skin bare again. "This is Code Blue. We've got trouble."_

_All four of us in the cell blinked in confusion. "No... No, not that," Gray argued into the device. "Yeah."_

_A second of silence passed again. "Talk to him yourself," Gray said, thrusting the lacrima device out to Natsu._

_"What is it?" Natsu asked into the device._

_"Is that you, Natsu?"_

_Erza?_

_"Oh for pity's sake," she scolded. "You've really ruined Gray's infiltration plan, didn't you?"_

_Infiltration plan?_

_This entire time..._

_He was a spy?_

_My mind completely crumbled. I should've been dead- a crumbled brain, a shattered heart. The gears spinning a thousand, no, a million miles an hour didn't lead to a conclusion._

_...what do I do now?_

**Chapter 69: Avatar: Oh, My Mind is Exploding**

**Nicole's POV**

I completely tuned out what Erza was saying over the communications lacrima about Gray's undercover mission. My mind, instead of continuing to spin at a gazillion miles an hour, had completed halted. I was drawing a blank. It felt like the last six months were the most torture I would ever experience... And it was all for a stupid mission?! I felt like strangling Gray and Erza right now. Screw Avatar.

Gray was saying something about the black marks on his body that had made their appearance six months ago. They were cool and kind of badass- but seeing them on Gray was revolting.

The ice mage was riding a steed next to Natsu. Lucy's steed and my own trailed behind, but with the quiet environment I could hear every word he said. "I guess you could call it a request from Erza," Gray said with a smirk. "After all, I was interested in the book of END, being that my old man's last wish was to destroy it."

Natsu asked the haunted question. "But you didn't even tell Nicole? You're a jerk."

To his credit, Gray looked guilty.

I was still fuming. I felt upset, angered, betrayed, and most of all humiliated. This entire time, it was just a damn mission.

"I told him not to," Erza's voice buzzed. "The less that know increase the chances of success." I bit my lip. If Erza thought I had been to weak to handle it, I might've broken down then and there. "And what if she had gotten in trouble over it?"

"So it was for Nicole's sake," Happy mumbled, turning backwards on Natsu's head to face me, his face sympathetic.

Erza's voice buzzed through the lacrima again. "I do feel bad for Nicole. My deepest apologies. I was told you took it badly. Please don't put Gray at fault. We didn't think the mission would drag out so long." There was a pause. "The mission has changed. It is no longer a simple scouting mission. With the whole purification ritual mess..."

"Avatar is planning on wiping out an entire town," Gray said," for the purpose of luring Zeref there. We have to stop this from happening."

Natsu shrugged. "Just beat 'em up! You and Erza, should be easy, right?"

I almost face-palmed. Natsu's simple-mindedness was stupid sometimes. "No, we can't," Gray argued. "The size of Avatar is huge- much more than we anticipated. What I've infiltrated is only one small part."

"If we make any careless moves," Erza finished, "we could ruin any chance we have at stopping the ritual. This is why we've waited until now."

"For the day all the branches meet," Gray added. "We destroy them all at once."

We rode on. Natsu's steed pulled ahead and Gray's steed slowed slightly, now in line with Lucy's horse and my own. My breath hitched and I made a point at glaring at the quickly-moving ground. Lucy rested a hand on top of mine, in comfort. "Lucy? ...Nicole?" he said.

I flinched.

"I'm sorry for what I said," he confessed quickly. "I had to. In front of them. I still think of you guys as my friends. In a way," he said, and although I couldn't see him, I knew his words were directed at me. "Your... um, _visit... _six months ago actually secured my ties with Avatar. They accepted me fully as one of their own afterwards. I'm sorry."

Lucy smiled at him warmly. "It's fine. Sorry for attacking you." She cleared her throat as I glared harder at the ground. "Um, I'll just pull up next to Natsu, if you guys have to talk-"

"No," I interrupted sharply. I looked up for the first time and glared hard at Gray and Lucy. "I have nothing to say here."

I urged my horse forward, anger pulsing in my veins, my eyes surely their famous blood red, leaving Gray and Lucy behind me. With my keen hearing I heard their continued conversation behind me. "I'm sorry," I heard Lucy whisper. "She's really upset."

Gray sighed quietly. "I know. I... I was expecting it. But..." his voice got quieter and I almost didn't catch it. "I don't know if she'll ever forgive me this time."

I choked down a sob, a tear leaking down my cheek, and pushed my horse further.

*****~~~:::~~~*****

"We didn't want to get you involved," Erza said as we neared the clearing.

"Drag, or be dragged!" Natsu announced. His eyes seemed to light up. "We're gonna fight again! It's been a year! Let's wipe 'em out!"

**"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" **Natsu hollered. Lucy's and Gray's faces split into wide grins, and I think I might've managed a smile. My first in forever.

*****~~~:::~~~*****

"FOR ZEREF!" The Avatar cult cheered as they surged towards the gates of the town.

Lucy whipped out a key. "Ready?"

"You bet," Natsu smirked, cracking his knuckles.

Gray smirked and laced his fingers, pushing his palms out and successfully cracking his fingers. "It's been a while." He risked a glance at me, and I pointedly ignored him. It hurt to look at him.

The black-clad warriors charged forwards, spears ready, but in a single swipe of his hand, a wall of Natsu's fire pushed them all back. "Come at us! Give it all you got!" Natsu yelled. "You ain't gonna get past us!"

I frowned. I had sworn a year ago I would avoid using my magic at whatever cost. A good dozen soldiers charged at me, and as one stabbed, I dodged to the side, grabbed his spear, and yanked it from his hand. In surprise, he backed up, but the others surged forwards. I swung the spear in a circle, pushing them back, then planted it in the ground, gripping it tightly, and swinging around it, kicking multiple men in the face. I pulled the spear out of the ground.

A chill ran down my spine. I turned too late.

A man had a spear aimed at the back of my neck, but then he was a frozen block of ice, tumbling away. I turned, and for the second time, made eye contact with Gray Fullbuster. "I know you don't want to use your magic," he called, his eyes pained with grief and frustration, "but with so many you can't_ not_ use it!"

"What's wrong with you, Nikki?!" Natsu hollered, blasting a pile of soldiers.

Gray gritted his teeth. Lucy risked a terrified glance my way. The Ice mage pushed his palms at something behind me. I didn't turn, but I knew he had saved me from a hundred soldiers. And I knew he was right. But I didn't want him to be.

"Suck up your pride," he demanded, "and listen to me!"

Something in me snapped.

I channeled all my emotions into my powers, embracing both my ice and my chaotic abilities. My clothing changed into the ice blue kimono I hadn't worn in a long year. I missed it. My hair blue, the power so refreshing, I stomped my foot, and the three hundred soldiers around me were propelled upwards by ice, ice, and more ice.

*****AND NOW TO GRAY*****

"Shit," he cursed to himself as the wall of spikes wiped out a chunk of the soldiers. She had gotten stronger- not by training her magic, but training herself. He turned, blasted more soldiers, and found Natsu in the crowd.

The pink-haired powerhouse turned and faced his long-term rival. "Nikki okay?"

Gray sighed. "I just awoke the demon. Stand back."

*****BACK TO NICOLE*****

"Ice Dragon Wings," I chanted, every spell I performed making me hate myself more and more. Long, elegant wings of ice appeared and I took off, up into the air. It was something I had taught myself before I swore off magic. Looking down at the frozen figures of about a good thousand of two soldiers, I released the hold on my Chaos magic. My dress went black, my hair red, my eyes soulless black. The ice wings coloured themselves black. But I had my control.

I willed my wings to vanish. I dropped, soaring downwards, the Avatar members below me shouting in confusion. "Chaos Dragon, Secret Art!" I screamed, pulling my hands above my head. "Depths of Hell!"

As I hit the ground, I pushed my hands down, into the ground, and all the ground within fifty metres with me on either side (that's a lot), the ground erupted. I couldn't tell how far my spell had gone, but I concentrated hard, and black mist blew up from the ground, completely obstructing my view. The screams of the Avatar members were drowned out.

I willed the mist to vanish. With a snap of my fingers, the blackness was gone, and a thousand soldiers around me were defeated, passed out on the ground.

***~:~***

Gray watched in awe as the darkness vanished without a trace, and all that remained was Nicole, the girl he had seriously, horribly messed up with.

The black that had followed when she screamed her spell had scared him for a minute. What if she had lost control over her spell, and she was getting hurt in the process? But his worries were for nothing, as the black-dressed girl suddenly swished a hand and another wave of Avatar members was swallowed up in black mist.

And then her transformation receded, leaving her back in his ice blue vest, black long-sleeved crop top, and dark jeans. Her expression remained black.

"Holy shit," he said dryly.

Natsu whooped and took out another hundred soldiers. "Damn, Nikki hasn't slacked off!"

***~:~***

I gritted my teeth. That was a horrible idea, doing so much magic! But it was a spell specifically meant for a large number of people. I sighed and stomped on a fallen guy's hand as I walked.

I ended up next to Gray as I fought my way through. Briar pushed through the crowd, yelling about Gray's betrayal. All my hatred for this woman boiled at once. I pushed out my palms. "Ice Dragon's Impact!" The icy blast threw her far, far, faaaaaar away through the crowd.

My breathing became heavy. I wasn't tired, nor magically drained... just bored. And annoyed.

"Nicole." Gray's hand closed around my wrist. I was too surprised to shake it off. "Please. I'm sorry."

I didn't say a word back, only glared at his shoes. He sighed in frustration. "Look, let's fight now, worry about this later."

I managed a stiff nod and subconsciously stripped off my vest, cursing myself for picking up Gray's stripping habit. We stood back to back. I noted a new shift in smell. Wendy was here. I heard a roar that sounded like Natsu. I kicked out, taking down several fighters.

Then the unthinkable happened. A large, black portal opened up in the sky and the largest being I had ever seen stepped out, holding a huge sword. Everyone scatted as he took a huge, heavy step. He took another- right over top of me. "Move!" Gray hollered, jumping at me. His arms wrapped around my waist and I was thrown to the side, rolling away, tumbling after Gray, and the giant's foot missed.

We came to a halt a couple metres away from the giant's foot. I coughed, wiped my eyes, and looked up. Gray was hovering over top of me, having rolled across the ground with me, his hands planted next to my shoulders.

His face reddened and he backed up and off me. "Sorry."

"Thank you," I said stiffly, brushing myself off and marching away, not looking back once.

The giant swung his sword, creating a crevice in the ground. Natsu, the idiot he was, jumped on the sword and charged, crawling and scampering up the giant's body. When he reached the head, he ignited his fist, and with a yell, a blaze of fire exploded on impact on the giant's head. The large being crumpled. Natsu stood up, triumphant. We had won.

I heard the Avatar members muttering weak comments. "They're terrifying!"

"How'd they take us down?"

"SCARY!"

And then, if our day couldn't get any weirder, Wendy cried out. "Hey! It's the army!"

I groaned.

* * *

**Up Next:**

"That's not Gajeel."

"...Juvia?"

"I'm home..."

"Rebuilding time!"


	70. Avatar: Home

**Welcome to chapter 70 for Secrets Can Kill!**

**I apologize for a late update. As some may know, Fairy Tail is getting extremely intense (WTF GAJEEL?!) and I have been having writer's block. My wifi has also sucked. But here is the next chapter! :)**

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_**Previously:**_

_I gritted my teeth. That was a horrible idea, doing so much magic! But it was a spell specifically meant for a large number of people. I sighed and stomped on a fallen guy's hand as I walked._

_I ended up next to Gray as I fought my way through. Briar pushed through the crowd, yelling about Gray's betrayal. All my hatred for this woman boiled at once. I pushed out my palms. "Ice Dragon's Impact!" The icy blast threw her far, far, faaaaaar away through the crowd._

_My breathing became heavy. I wasn't tired, nor magically drained... just bored. And annoyed._

_"Nicole." Gray's hand closed around my wrist. I was too surprised to shake it off. "Please. I'm sorry."_

_I didn't say a word back, only glared at his shoes. He sighed in frustration. "Look, let's fight now, worry about this later."_

_I managed a stiff nod and subconsciously stripped off my vest, cursing myself for picking up Gray's stripping habit. We stood back to back. I noted a new shift in smell. Wendy was here. I heard a roar that sounded like Natsu. I kicked out, taking down several fighters._

_Then the unthinkable happened. A large, black portal opened up in the sky and the largest being I had ever seen stepped out, holding a huge sword. Everyone scattered as he took a huge, heavy step. He took another- right over top of me. "Move!" Gray hollered, jumping at me. His arms wrapped around my waist and I was thrown to the side, rolling away, tumbling after Gray, and the giant's foot missed._

_We came to a halt a couple metres away from the giant's foot. I coughed, wiped my eyes, and looked up. Gray was hovering over top of me, having rolled across the ground with me, his hands planted next to my shoulders._

_His face reddened and he backed up and off me. "Sorry."_

_"Thank you," I said stiffly, brushing myself off and marching away, not looking back once._

_The giant swung his sword, creating a crevice in the ground. Natsu, the idiot he was, jumped on the sword and charged, crawling and scampering up the giant's body. When he reached the head, he ignited his fist, and with a yell, a blaze of fire exploded on impact on the giant's head. The large being crumpled. Natsu stood up, triumphant. We had won._

_I heard the Avatar members muttering weak comments. "They're terrifying!"_

_"How'd they take us down?"_

_"SCARY!"_

_And then, if our day couldn't get any weirder, Wendy cried out. "Hey! It's the army!"_

_I groaned._

**Chapter 70: Avatar: Home**

**Nicole's POV**

Kicking up dust as I walked, the Avatar members all stared at us in blank, horrified shock at the realization that their 2,000 men had been utterly destroyed by the Fairy Tail guild members. I glared at one who was gaping up at me.

_"RUN!" _several screamed. The ones who could still move scampered to their feet and took off.

"ARREST THEM ALL!" came the horrifying familiar voice of Gajeel.

I gaped at the surge of council members. "Gajeel's on the council?!"

"Gajeel-san?!" Wendy whispered next to me.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy cheered, running over to join her best friend.

Natsu grinned cheekily. Wendy pointed out to Gajeel and Lily. "Hey, there's someone else..."

We all looked over.

"...Juvia?"

"Juvia joined the council," the blue-haired mage admitted sheepishly. "Juvia needed somewhere to go and so Gajeel-kun invited Juvia to the council!" Everyone gaped at Juvia before Lucy ran up and gave her a big hug. Wendy soon followed.

"Good for you, Juvia," Nicole said dryly, meaning her words but it didn't really show.

The water mage looked down, and then back up. "Gray-sama~" she said with a sigh, latching herself around the ice mage. "Oh, how Juvia has missed you!"

"Er, hi, Juvia," Gray said, awkwardly patting Juvia on the back.

Natsu waved happily at Levy and Panther Lily. "Hey guys!" Then he turned to the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Yo, Mister Dead Ringer for Gajeel."

"You picking a fight?!" Gajeel demanded angrily.

"Makes sense," I added with a shrug. "Gajeel would never work for the council."

"Oi, Princess," Gajeel said, ignoring me. He ruffled my hair and I scowled and swatted his hands away. "Still as feisty as always. Where've you been?" His eyes caught the Sabertooth guild mark that had taken the place of my Fairy Tail mark. "Hanging out with Sting and Rogue? Are your standards really that low?"

I smirked. "I could tell Levy the same thing, hanging out with you."

Gajeel sputtered curses as the tips of his ears tipped red. "Damn, Princess! You asking to fight?!"

"Gajeel could never be a council man," Natsu continued. "You're a fake."

"Yeah, well," the iron man argued, "Tree Gramps found me back when I was looking for something to do, and asked me to, ya know." An image crossed my mind of the tree man shaking his head and muttering, "it was a joke," and the situation seemed so likely that I smirked again. "And now," he announced, "I'm way above the guild!"

"Hold it-" I said quickly.

"You're under arrest, Salamander, for having a face like that," he began.

Natsu glared at Gajeel.

"You too, for indecent attire!"

"Hey!" Lucy squealed.

"You, for picking too many fights and being too feisty!"

I sweat-dropped. "My personality is a crime?..."

"You eat too many fish!"

"It's a crime to have good food?" Happy wondered.

"And you... I dunno, I just feel like arresting you with everyone else." Wendy stared blankly at the council man.

"Last of all," Gajeel finished, turning to Gray. "I don't even need to tell you, do I, Gray? I'm not as forgiving as the rest of them." Gray looked down, almost sheepishly, and I punched myself for feeling sorry for him. He damn deserved it.

Suddenly, Erza Scarlet came up behind Gajeel and slammed him in the head with her fist. Natsu and Happy cried out in fear and clung to each other while Lucy cheered excitedly. It'd been a while since I'd seen Erza- not that she looked much different than usual.

"You sure are acting extremely high and mighty for someone who looks exactly like Gajeel," she deadpanned.

I almost smiled as Gajeel yelled back, "I AM THE REAL DEAL!"

"No," Erza argued, "there's no way Gajeel would be accepted onto the council."

"That's actually him," Lily put in, coming up from behind him.

Erza's face blanked. "WHAT?!" She took a deep breath. "Let's cut to the chase. It was us that stopped the ritual-"

"We know," Gajeel argued. I sighed in relief. _At least I won't get arrested or anything._

"I still caused a lot of trouble for everyone," Gray said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"As long as Gray-sama is alright, Juvia is happy!" The bluenette giggled.

I looked away. The guild may forgive him, but I wouldn't anytime soon. I looked over and saw some council members dragging one of the Avatar members away. "Those are Gray's friends?" He whispered to himself in disbelief. I marched after the council members dragging their new prisoner and I punched him in the face, nose breaking and blood rushing down his face.

"Damn right," I snarled. _They _were. I wasn't. Not yet.

The council members looked at me like they wanted to argue, but I glared at them and marched away.

"This is our victory!" Erza cried, holding her sword high in the air. "So it's time for us to celebrate with a cheer!"

Everyone stuck a fist in the air and cheered. I held up my hand as well, but no smile crossed my face. I was too angry and Gray and confused at everything else. Then a different scent caught my nose. I smelled my old guild- Sting and Rogue specifically. I stared around, but didn't see them- oh, there's their little exceed, Frosch. What's he doing down here?

"Frosch?" I called as he toddled over to the other exceeds.

Natsu screamed loudly behind me and I remembered what he said about Gray supposedly killing Frosch. I looked over at the ice mage and he was behind Natsu, watching Frosch. Natsu began to sweat nervously.

The little guy raised his hands. "Fro is here! Hello scary lady!"

"Scary lady?" Lucy asked.

I shrugged. "That's what he called me. No clue why, though."

"No clue at all..." my guild members sweat-dropped in the background.

I walked over and scooped up the little exceed. "Sting and Rogue are here, then?"

"Fro thinks so," he mumbled.

I wrapped him in a hug. "Awe, you're so cute."

Gajeel stared at me in bewilderment. "Is Princess' weakness seriously the cute frog-cat over here?"

Erza gazed at Frosch with an adorable expression on her face. I faintly heard Rogue screaming something but my guild was laughing now and I couldn't hear it. I needed to head back to Saber and decide- whether I was going with my former guild mates or my new ones. Tough decision.

* * *

I met with Sting and Rogue and Lector, carrying Frosch, as soon as the rest of the group departed. I noticed Juvia leaving attached to Gray but I ignored it for the moment. I handed the little exceed back to a frustrated Rogue as he demanded Frosch to never run off again.

"I suppose you're here to tell us that you're leaving, then?" Sting asked with a smirk.

My eyes widened. "What-"

"It was obvious," Rogue said. "You never really got over the disbanding of Fairy Tail."

I shook my head. "I was actually going to ask to stay with you guys."

Rogue gasped. "What? But you love that guild! Why would you want to stay here?"

"You guys really want me gone," I grumbled, crossing my arms as Sting chuckled warmly.

"Stop lying to yourself," he scolded.

"I'm not," I insisted. "I-"

"Want to leave," Sting interrupted. "No matter how much you try to convince yourself that staying is the best option."

My eyes brimmed with tears. "Idiots," I sputtered. "The only ones there who know about my Dragon Slayer problems are Gray and Natsu!"

_It had been a long month since I joined Sabertooth. My schedule included five minutes in the guild, grab a job, and leave again, avoiding contact with society if possible. I was in no mood to talk to people._

_I was just out the guild doors when Rogue came up behind me and put and hand on my shoulder. "Leaving so soon?" He asked quietly._

_I shrugged, taking a few more steps. "Yeah. Money awaits."_

_"Can we talk to you?" Rogue asked suddenly._

_"We?"_

_Sting emerged from the guild building, stretching. "Oi, Princess, you rarely ever spend time in here." He gestured to the building. _

_"I take jobs," I hissed._

_"Nicole," The Sabertooth guild master said seriously. "What happened to your dragon?"_

_I blinked. "Sorry?"_

_"There was no ice dragon present on the day the dragons returned," Rogue stated. _

_"She was," I insisted, fear starting to flood through me. "Marol was there."_

_"She?" Sting questioned. "The other dragons said the only ice dragon in existence was male, and dead."_

_"She WAS," I growled, shoving Rogue's hand off my shoulder. "Besides, it's none of your business."  
_

_"Nicole," Sting said, his voice getting more serious than ever, "I know you were staying with Gray for the months leading up to now-" I visibly flinched- "and I won't question you on that. That is your business. But how the hell did you manage to learn Ice Dragon Slayer magic if the only ice dragon in the world wasn't around to teach it?"_

_"My dragon parent was there," I protested feebly. "He was."_

_"He?" Rogue said with a sigh. "Is it a he or a she?"_

_"Doesn't matter!" I barked._

_Sting glared at me. I sighed. "Trust me, you really don't want to know."_

_"Nicole," Rogue replied quietly, "since when has keeping secrets ever done anything good for you?"_

_I hesitated._

_Sting and Rogue held their stares._

_"Fine," I snapped. "My dragon parent is Acnologia! I had my memories screwed with so I could be a pawn for him when he wanted to take over the world, and the only reason I know Ice magic is because that's what I believed I knew, and my dragon slayer qualities helped me pick up on it. Happy now?"_

_They both fell into a state of shocked silence and I dashed off, making a pair of icy wings and soaring away._

_I expected, upon returning to the guild, that I'd be kicked out (my 'dad' killed Igneel and literally wrecked chaos around the world, nothing good) but instead I was greeted with a huge mug of hot chocolate and a group hug. Sting and Rogue had told the rest of the guild and they were more than supportive. I explained my whole story to them, became best friends with Minerva (surprise!) and had a very happy next few months._

"Then tell them," Sting argued. "You told us, didn't you?"

"I shouldn't have," I argued. "My father killed Natsu's dad!"

"That was him, not you at all," Rogue shouted, which was rare because he never raised his voice. "People aren't going to avoid you like poison just because you were raised and trained by Acnologia!"

"He completely ruined lives," I shouted back, tears near escaping my eyes. "He-"

"Princess," Sting argued. "If you think for just one second that your life is worse than everyone else's, then you've completely forgotten that Natsu-san was reunited with his father for only a few minutes before he was killed. Gajeel-kun and Wendy-chan lost their parents too. Everyone suffered from that war, some as much or more than you. You have never done anything to intentionally hurt that guild, you have no reason for them to hate you!"

He breathed for a second. "Suck it up, Princess."

I felt like I had been slapped, and all the breath just left my body. I remembered Sting and Rogue had both lost their parents that day too.

So we all moved in for a group hug. "Dammit, guys," I hissed, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I hate you."

"Hate you too," Sting wheezed. "You're crushing my ribs."

I smiled and leaned back. Sting put his hands on his hips. "I, the master of Sabertooth, am kicking you out of our guild." I looked down and saw my Sabertooth guild mark fading.

"That wasn't very professional," I added, hiccuping.

"We're not," Sting grinned.

I hugged them both again, Sting and Rogue, and then punched Sting in the shoulder. "That was for calling me Princess," I said, laughing, and Rogue joined in as Sting rubbed his shoulder. "I'll come back and say a formal good bye."

They waved to me and I turned, looking in the direction of Fairy Tail. "I'm going home," I whispered to myself. "Going home."

* * *

**Up Next:**

"I wasn't even there for the first month!"

"THAT FUCKING HURT!"

"Rebuilding time!"

"Get back to work."


	71. Return

**Welcome to chapter 71 of Secrets Can Kill!**

**There were more reviews than usual last chapter- thank you guys so much :) We're nearing the end of Fairy Tail, and this story! I don't want it to end! :(**

**TIME FOR EMOTIONAL NICOLE NEXT CHAPTER WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**

**Love you all :)**

**REVIEWS~**

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**_Previously:_**

_"Then tell them," Sting argued. "You told us, didn't you?"_

_"I shouldn't have," I argued. "My father killed Natsu's dad!"_

_"That was him, not you at all," Rogue shouted, which was rare because he never raised his voice. "People aren't going to avoid you like poison just because you were raised and trained by Acnologia!"_

_"He completely ruined lives," I shouted back, tears near escaping my eyes. "He-"_

_"Princess," Sting argued. "If you think for just one second that your life is worse than everyone else's, then you've completely forgotten that Natsu-san was reunited with his father for only a few minutes before he was killed. Gajeel-kun and Wendy-chan lost their parents too. Everyone suffered from that war, some as much or more than you. You have never done anything to intentionally hurt that guild, you have no reason for them to hate you!"_

_He breathed for a second. "Suck it up, Princess."_

_I felt like I had been slapped, and all the breath just left my body. I remembered Sting and Rogue had both lost their parents that day too._

_So we all moved in for a group hug. "Dammit, guys," I hissed, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I hate you."_

_"Hate you too," Sting wheezed. "You're crushing my ribs."_

_I smiled and leaned back. Sting put his hands on his hips. "I, the master of Sabertooth, am kicking you out of our guild." I looked down and saw my Sabertooth guild mark fading._

_"That wasn't very professional," I added, hiccuping._

_"We're not," Sting grinned._

_I hugged them both again, Sting and Rogue, and then punched Sting in the shoulder. "That was for calling me Princess," I said, laughing, and Rogue joined in as Sting rubbed his shoulder. "I'll come back and say a formal good bye."_

_They waved to me and I turned, looking in the direction of Fairy Tail. "I'm going home," I whispered to myself. "Going home."_

**Chapter 71: Return**

**Nicole's POV**

By the time I had returned to the rubble in Magnolia where our guild used to be, everyone was already there, except for Lucy, Natsu, Carla, Wendy, and Happy. I agreed with the Twin Dragon Slayers that I would return and pick up my stuff after the rebuilding was done. At least, if we still had everyone.

When I walked over I was greeted by enthusiastic cheers and hugs. "Nicole!" Cana boomed. "Have you grown?" She gestured to my chest.

I flushed. "No! No." But nevertheless I hugged Cana back. "Good to see you."

The others exchanged similar greetings- no, that sounded weird. They all said hello and how great it was to see me, not comment on my chest size. I avoided Gray purposely- no way was I ready to talk with him. Everyone seemed to have changed- Alzack and Bisca looked much more mature, Max and Nab had grown out their hair, Romeo's hair was more sleek and long. Droy looked more round, Jet looked more lean. Juvia was there too, clinging onto Gray's arm.

And then Lucy and Natsu showed up, and the entire guild was overjoyed. Lucy sobbed. Tomorrow, we would rebuild.

I took a room in a hotel for the night. But I had never felt so lonely, ever.

I didn't sleep.

But when I managed to, all that came were nightmares.

Well, more like memories.

**xXxXxXxXx**

**4 months into the 1 year time skip**

**xXxXxXxXx**

_It was a rainy night. I was dozing in my soft bed, about to sleep, but finding I couldn't. Stretching, I climbed out of my bed (almost falling in the process) and staggered to the small kitchen, looking for water. Filling a cup, I sighed, staring out at the window._

_"Can't sleep?"  
_

_I jumped, water splashing in the glass, but it was only Gray. "Yeah," I mumbled. He was shirtless, like always, but it didn't really bother me anymore._

_"Me neither," he said quietly. _

_I turned and faced the window again with a sigh. "Are you okay?" He asked eventually. "You've been up like this a lot lately."_

_I was a bit surprised that he noticed. "No," I admitted. "I'm not." I plopped myself down on the small couch we had stuck in the entrance area to the house._

_He took a seat next to me, but didn't say a word, waiting for me to elaborate. I rolled my eyes, set down my water glass, and gazed away, not willing to make eye contact. "The thought came to me the other day," I coughed. "Well, more like a few days after the Tartaros thing."_

_I launched into my memory while he watched me and listened. "I, uh, thought back," I stammered, avoiding eye contact deliberately. "And... well, you were there. You remember how Igneel said that... the dragons disappeared inside the Dragon Slayers' bodies to create antibodies and things like that to prevent them from turning into dragons, right?" I risked a glance at him to see if he'd caught on yet, but he hadn't._

_"Well," I mumbled. "You noticed I haven't used magic recently?"_

_"You haven't used it at all," he corrected._

_"Well, yeah," I agreed. "But... Acnologia bombed us on Tenrou, right?"_

_"Right," Gray said slowly._

_"Which means he never produced antibodies," I whispered._

_Gray, the idiot, finally clued in. His eyes widened. "Oh God. You-"_

_"I'm going to turn into a dragon," I whispered. "And go haywire. All because I don't have the damn antibodies," I added bitterly. "Like... Like Acnologia."_

_There was a pause._

_It felt great to finally tell someone why I had been acting weird. It was such a weight lifted off my shoulders- _dammit Gray, why do you have that 'tell me your secrets' effect on me?!_ I shuddered, and he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. He was warm._

_"You idiot," he muttered into my shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me? What has keeping secrets ever done for you?"_

_I smirked, even if he couldn't see. "You sure you want to hang around me now?" I questioned, ignoring his question. "I mean, I'm going to turn into a dragon and potentially kill you."_

_He shrugged. "I'll take the risk."_

_I hugged him back. He was the greatest person ever._

**xXxXxXxXx**

I woke up sweating.

"Dammit," I cursed myself. I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand and got up. About 5 AM.

I shrugged. No point in sleeping now. "Rebuilding time!" I cheered to myself with false enthusiasm.

* * *

I yawned as I hauled another load of lumber to the new site of our guild building. Even if I was the first one here, everyone else had already showed up and the guild was slowly taking shape. Erza was here only five minutes after me and commended me on my enthusiasm to rebuild the guild hall.

Silently I did my work, which became increasingly difficult with the noise level.

"Nicole," Gray called, and I stiffened. "Pass me nails?"

I tossed them over my shoulder and heard a 'clang' as they hit him, hopefully in the forehead. I heard him grumble and refused to turn around, setting a piece of wood in place, and decided to focus on the gossiping group.

"Did ya hear, those two were living together?" Jet whispered. _Who is he talking about?_

"No way man, I heard they got married," Droy whispered next. I frowned. _Are they talking about..._

Nab was nodding along. "Yeah, they've got kids." All three of the men stared at me and realized I was listening. They paled. Then I realized they were talking about _me and Gray._

"I heard he was cheating on her with Juvia," Macao added, unaware of my watching.

Romeo's face reddened and Wakaba put in, "I thought he was secretly with Erza, too..."

_"HOW FAR ARE YOU GUYS GOING WITH THIS?!" _Gray hollered.

I scowled. "I wasn't even there for the first month!"

They all looked over, surprised I wasn't pummeling them. "I wasn't living with him until a month after the disbanding of the guild," I snapped, "No, I did NOT fucking have kids, and no, we are no married." I thwacked a nail with so much force it splintered the wood.

"She's gonna blow..." Nab whispered fearfully.

Controlling myself, I turned back to the part of the wall I was working on and snapped a stray piece of wood in my hands. I could almost feel Gray watching me. I ignored it. Ignore, ignore, ignore...

"Maybe he did cheat on her," she heard Jet whisper. "And that's why she's so different."

Normally I wouldn't have been able to hear it but the Dragon Slayer thing was a good ability to have at times. Nab added, "I did hear that the place they stayed completely froze over."

"Maybe like during the Grand Magic Games?" Droy wondered. "Did she find out and lose it?"

I gritted my teeth. They were getting closer and closer to the truth...

They continued discussing different theories until I whirled around and snapped, "Shut-" I never finished because Elfman sailed into my face.

Everyone gaped. I stood up.

"THAT FUCKING HURT!" I screeched, kicking Elfman away.

"She's back to normal!" Droy cried.

"WE'VE AWOKEN THE DEMON!" Jet screamed as I glared at them and cracked my knuckles.

Everyone was laughing. A guild brawl. Felt just like old times. I was just about to get a good hit on Jet and Droy when Erza stepped in.

"Get back to work."

Everyone shrunk down in fear and silently returned to their posts. I rolled my eyes and went back to work as Levy remarked something about Erza being the seventh guild master. I saw plenty of stares in my direction. "What?!" I snapped. Then I realized I had broken the log of wood I was supposed to be working with. "You know what?" I said furiously, tossing my hammer onto the ground. "Enough rumors. I need a break."

I stomped away to the open, grassy fields, ready to punch anyone that came near me.

* * *

**Up Next:**

"I'm sorry..."

"Why? Just... why?

"Look, I was an idiot."


	72. Idiots

**Chapter 72, here we go!**

**Thank you for the lovely reviews! I apologize for the wait- I just got back from a camp yesterday and leave for a new one tomorrow. Busy me!**

**REVIEWS~**

**Dr4gonIc3F34th3r: Never trust a library! Yes, Cana is my spirit animal :3 And Gray is an idiot. **

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_**Previously:**_

_Controlling myself, I turned back to the part of the wall I was working on and snapped a stray piece of wood in my hands. I could almost feel Gray watching me. I ignored it. Ignore, ignore, ignore..._

_"Maybe he did cheat on her," she heard Jet whisper. "And that's why she's so different."_

_Normally I wouldn't have been able to hear it but the Dragon Slayer thing was a good ability to have at times. Nab added, "I did hear that the place they stayed completely froze over."_

_"Maybe like during the Grand Magic Games?" Droy wondered. "Did she find out and lose it?"_

_I gritted my teeth. They were getting closer and closer to the truth..._

_They continued discussing different theories until I whirled around and snapped, "Shut-" I never finished because Elfman sailed into my face._

_Everyone gaped. I stood up._

_"THAT FUCKING HURT!" I screeched, kicking Elfman away._

_"She's back to normal!" Droy cried._

_"WE'VE AWOKEN THE DEMON!" Jet screamed as I glared at them and cracked my knuckles._

_Everyone was laughing. A guild brawl. Felt just like old times. I was just about to get a good hit on Jet and Droy when Erza stepped in._

_"Get back to work."_

_Everyone shrunk down in fear and silently returned to their posts. I rolled my eyes and went back to work as Levy remarked something about Erza being the seventh guild master. I saw plenty of stares in my direction. "What?!" I snapped. Then I realized I had broken the log of wood I was supposed to be working with. "You know what?" I said furiously, tossing my hammer onto the ground. "Enough rumors. I need a break."_

_I stomped away to the open, grassy fields, ready to punch anyone that came near me._

**Chapter 72: Idiots**

**Normal POV**

Gray watched her stomp away, her cheeks red and flushed and her hands clenched. His forehead creased and the hammer dangled uselessly in his hand. Jet and Dory exchanged looks that said, _oh shit, we're dead. _Jet pulled out a piece of paper (which Gray learned later, he was writing his will) and Droy started praying.

He clenched his fists. He _hated_ seeing her as tense and as cold as she was now.

And it was his fault.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. Erza murmured, "I think it is high time you go after her."

So Gray nodded, and he went.

He found the Ice Dragon Slayer down an alleyway on a street not too far away. She was punching a brick wall, which Gray thought was rather stupid of her. She was muttering curse words under her breath. _If I step in, I'll most likely have my head ripped off, _Gray mused, watching her fist smash the wall and a thin layer of ice covering the area her fist hit. Blood ran down her knuckles. _She's an idiot._

"Fullbuster," he heard her hiss, "when I get my hands on you..." She punched the wall again, breaking through the brick. Gray's eyes widened.

Nicole coughed loudly. "DAMMIT!" she roared, punching the wall again, more bricks tumbling away.

Gray nervously took a step back. Quietly. Or else she'd hear him...

Crap. Her Dragon Slayer thing. She could probably scent him already.

"You're an idiot," she mumbled to nobody in particular. Gray wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself. Her body shook and she stumbled to the ground, sitting down on a layer of ice, on her knees. "Idiot," she whispered again. "Why? Just... why?"

She seemed much more calm now.

Gray stepped forwards.

Knowing she already knew he was there, he took several paces until he was only a foot away from her, staring down at her sunken form and her back. She was still facing the broken wall. "I hate you," she mumbled, her voice muffled. "I..."

He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her back. Her body shook from the sobs. Gray nuzzled his face into her shoulder. "Look, I was an idiot." (he heard Nicole curse him under her breath with a lot of things she really shouldn't have said) "I'm so, so sorry that I put you through hell."

"You better be," she sniffled, and Gray couldn't help but manage a small smile. He squeezed his arms around her tighter.

"I should've told you," he continued quietly. "I was just trying to protect you, but you don't need protecting."

"Got that right," she grumbled. The hug was warm and the Dragon Slayer had no intention of moving. "I'm still mad at you."

Gray sighed in disbelief- _she was impossible- _and was about to say something when the quiet whisper caught his ear, something so quiet he almost missed it.

"I'm sorry..."

His grip loosened. "Huh?"

"I should've forgiven you sooner," she blurted out. "I'm a completely, totally stubborn, insensitive idiot who holds grudges for years on end."

"You are an idiot," he agreed, "especially if you're trying to apologize." She shook him off but he grabbed her shoulders again, turning her around to face him. "Nicole Emereon, yes, you are an extremely stubborn person, and that makes you crazy reckless, and you don't back down from a challenge." He leaned in so his forehead was resting against hers, and although he knew she was looking at him, he shut his eyes. "You don't know what you're capable of, have an extremely short fuse, and tend to get angry at people for minuscule things. You think you're weaker than you actually are. You suffer in silence rather than telling someone."

"When you're done pointing out all my flaws-"

"But," Gray continued, "you're extremely brave. Incredibly loyal. You'd go through anything for a friend. You do what you think is best, even if it hurts others. You manage to forgive even when you've got a huge grudge. You're deadly smart. You're an amazing partner."

He opened his eyes.

She was watching him, eyes wide but hardened, a tear running through the dust on her cheek.

"Everything I just listed," he said quietly, staring into her eyes, "is the things that I love about you. The things everyone at Fairy Tail loves about you. Absolutely everything. Nobody cares that you're Acnologia's daughter, nobody would care if you were the daughter of the King of Fiore. You could have some sort of mutant disease. We wouldn't care." He sighed. _"I _don't care about any of that."

She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and that was the one instant Gray knew he was forgiven. He sighed in relief.

"I hate you," the Ice Dragon Slayer mumbled into his shoulder.

"Hate you too." Dammit, he wanted to kiss her. But now was not the time. Definitely not.

"But I love you."

"Love you too."

"I have no clue why I do."

"You're hilarious. Why don't we go get your hands bandaged up and figure out how much you need to pay in property damage?"


	73. Alvarez: Caracall Island

**Chapter 73 :)**

**Thank you for the wait! I've been reading recent chapters and been getting anxious about the future of the story and aaaagh. No spoilers here :)**

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**REVIEWS~**

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**Sasha Monroe: Thank you very much for the review! :D**

_**Previously:**_

_He opened his eyes._

_She was watching him, eyes wide but hardened, a tear running through the dust on her cheek._

_"Everything I just listed," he said quietly, staring into her eyes, "is the things that I love about you. The things everyone at Fairy Tail loves about you. Absolutely everything. Nobody cares that you're Acnologia's daughter, nobody would care if you were the daughter of the King of Fiore. You could have some sort of mutant disease. We wouldn't care." He sighed. "I don't care about any of that."_

_She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and that was the one instant Gray knew he was forgiven. He sighed in relief._

_"I hate you," the Ice Dragon Slayer mumbled into his shoulder._

_"Hate you too." Dammit, he wanted to kiss her. But now was not the time. Definitely not._

_"But I love you."_

_"Love you too."_

_"I have no clue why I do."_

_"You're hilarious. Why don't we go get your hands bandaged up and figure out how much you need to pay in property damage?"_

**Chapter 73: Alvarez: Caracall Island**

**Nicole's POV**

Gray led me to an inn of sorts and helped me bandage my hands in the lobby. The man at the front desk recognized us, and although his face paled, he graciously lent us a first aid kit. I offered to go see Wendy but Gray insisted that the inn was fine- it wasn't something huge to fuss about or cause trouble for. I wrapped them up and pulled my favourite finger less gloves over top. "There," I said. "I'm fine now."

"You sure?" he asked, gingerly touching my hands.

The concern was sweet. "Completely," I assured him, hiding the fact they still stung like crazy. I forced a fake smile and stepped up from the couch. The man looked at us, relief and worry both crossing his face. I smiled at him and tossed a handful of jewels on the counter. "Thank you," I mumbled, stumbling out the door.

The Ice Make mage caught my arm and steadied me. "You sure you're okay? Don't want you killing yourself because of your stubbornness."

My cheeks heated up. "I'm not!"

He was about to retort with a smirk on his face when someone completely bowled us over. Yelping, Gray, the mysterious person, and I all tumbled down the street, finally rolling to a stop by a fountain and many amused/terrified civilians.

I groaned and was about to stand when Gray helped hoist me to my feet. "Who?" I sputtered, fists clenched. "Who-"

"Just Flame Brain," Gray replied.

Natsu waved cheerily. "Hey guys! You both good?"

There was more of a meaning behind those words than he meant. The Dragon Slayer wasn't only asking if we were okay after the fall, but he was also asking if the two of us had worked it out. "We're good," I confirmed.

His smirk split into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Perfect! Now let's go, I'll explain on the road!"

And go, we did.

**. . . . . . . . . .**

"I," I moaned, "absolutely hate boats!"

Because apparently boats were the only method of transportation we could take in order to reach the Master. Fabulous.

But Natsu and Wendy were both keeling over as well, which wasn't exactly the best- half of our team had severe motion sickness. Brilliant. Gray sat next to me and rubbed his palms against my back. Lucy wiggled her eyebrows at us suggestively but giggled afterwards. After what seemed like long, aching days, we reached our pit stop- Caracall Island.

"The Alvarez Kingdom's ship is here!" Mest cried in a panic.

I threw my hands in the air. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"You're extremely sarcastic when you're motion sick," Gray remarked as I lay over the side of the ship.

"So glad you noticed," I moaned.

We docked onto the island and I had never been happier to touchdown on land. We decided on disguising ourselves as members of Wendy's old guild, Cait Shelter. I changed into my black bathing suit top and my jean shorts (Gray flushed and I smacked him) and we headed out. I twisted my bracelet- the one Gray had given me for Christmas that I had tucked into the back of my bag for months.

The guard at the entrance to the island eyed our marks suspiciously. "Are you from a guild?"

"Yep!" Lucy grinned. "We're part of a wizards' guild called Cait Shelter."

Erza nudged me. "This may require a fair bit of using the feminine talents we possess. However you are more suited to threatening. I suggest you wait in the back."

"Sounds reasonable," I said with a shrug, blushing slightly. Gray smirked at me. I glared back.

Erza and Lucy both leaned forwards, pushing up under their chests in order to let the guards have an eyeful. I flamed red- no way I'd ever do that- and Gray smirked at me again. I would've punched him had it not been for the guards, but they quickly ushered us in, to my relief and everyone's. "Girl power is not one to be trifled with," Gray mused. Natsu nodded in agreement, gazing at the girls as what could be described as awe.

I stared down at my own not-so-huge chest and saw Wendy doing the same. I sighed, jealous of the girls, and felt Gray's hand on my shoulder. I looked back at him. "You don't have to be busty to be pretty," he murmured, staring at Erza's back.

Flushing, I stomped away. "Ah, shut it." The corners of his mouth rose in a smile.

"Natsu, make sure you behave!" Lucy ordered from in front of us.

"Why me?" Natsu whined.

Erza sighed. "Because you're the one who doesn't seem to understand the words 'infiltration' the most."

I snickered- it was true- and Natsu tucked his scarf up over his nose and proclaimed himself a ninja. Then a loud wail in the distance pricked my dragon ears and I looked off to see a girl with short hair wailing and tugging on a guard's arm. "Where's my Daddy?" she cried, shaking the guard's arm.

"Natsu," Erza warned.

"Don't do anything," Mest whispered.

I saw Gray clenching his fists and I realized I was doing the same. _Don't interfere. Don't interfere. Don't-_

The guard raised his hand to strike.

We all moved (with the exception of Mest) and I planted my foot into a guard's armor-clad chest, pushing him backwards. Wendy had moved to protect the girl. I heard Mest swear loudly. The people of Caracall Island starting murmuring amongst themselves about kids in swimsuits beating up guards. "Leave her to me," Wendy called as she and Carla moved off. At Gray's prompting, Mest went with them, muttering something about angels.

"It's getting hot out here," Gray smirked, his hand glowing, "let's cool it down."

I sighed. "Seriously?"

The guards spouted order after order, trying to get organized. I tapped the gem on my bracelet and swept the ice baton out, knocking back several guards. I planted my fist in the face of another and stabbed at one with the end of the staff.

"You... Still have the bracelet."

I turned. Gray was standing behind me, eyes wide and disbelieving. "I thought you would've broken it or something."

I shook my head. "No," I said quietly, ignoring the commotion around me. "I guess I never really gave up hope."

His face broke into a wide grin, relief clearly visible, and he grabbed my wrist. At first I thought he was tugging at my bracelet, but he raised his other hand and blasted a guard behind me with ice.

"Flirt later!" Lucy called as her whip connected with a guard's chest.

"Right!" Gray and I went back to back, circling, and finished off the remaining guards.

They were all down. Every single one of them. I clicked the gem on the snowflake charm and the staff vanished. Gray scoffed, kicking up dust. "Disappointing." He turned back to me. "I still can't believe you kept it."

My face heated for about the tenth time that day. "Yeah, yeah."

"Thank you," he said quietly. I raised an eyebrow. "For never really giving up on me," he added, pulling me in for a hug. I hugged back and saw Natsu about to say something but Erza shushed him.

"You know," I said pulling away, "this place is really nice."

He nodded, amused, and stared up into the sky. "Bright and sunny. So opposing to where I grew up."

I rolled my eyes. "Remember that vacation thing Mira planned?"

Gray laughed. It was music to my ears. "Yeah, and you refused to wear a hot pink dress."

"But you had a matching tie," I joked, poking him in the chest.

"You got really drunk that night." He smirked, looking down at me. I smirked back, staring up (he was only, like, a couple inches taller!) and retorted, "Blame Cana!"

He was about to say something back when a nearby shack exploded.

The debris fell ever which way, falling to the ground. The man who apparently worked at the shack moaned in agony of losing the hut. Erza and Natsu's faces took on blank expressiosn. A man emerged from behind the explosion, his figure skinny. "Well done!" he said with a laugh, clapping his hands. "Very well done!" He had black hair that stuck up around his head, and a cheery looking face, but I had the suspicion he would be anything but cheery.

"My dream," the man sobbed. "My dream..."

I dug a bag of coins out of my pocket, and apparently Gray had the same idea, because we both handed small bags to the man. "Take this and run," I urged, not looking back at him. "It's not much, but we can get you more later." Erza's body shone as she prepared to perform her Requip...

But nothing happened.

"Space is something I own," our new enemy said cheerily. "I have a kind of magic that enables me to instantly equip anything I want. And that's why you can't use any of your spatial magic against me."

I groaned inwardly. Brilliant.

Lucy tried to summon Sagittarius, but failed. The enemy, who said his name was Marin, only laughed at her expense. "Those who don't abide by my laws of space," he said quietly, "are invited to my own personal relaxation space~"

My two best friends vanished.

All that was left of them was dust.

_They're still alive, _I reminded myself, but it didn't feel right. Shaking, I raised my hand to my bracelet. _This guy needs to go._

"No!" Gray grabbed my hand before I could do anything else. "That uses space! You'll get trapped like Lucy and Erza!"

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Marin observed me with great amusement. _I don't have a way to fight._

_Unless..._

_No way. I gave up on my magic a long time ago. I can't use it unless I want to turn into a dragon._

Then that little nagging voice in the back of my head whispered, _but you have to..._

I shook my head. If I had to become a dragon so that I could fight for my guild, then so be it. Shakily I wrenched my hand from Gray's grip and punched my fist into my hand. "Let's pound his face in."


	74. Alvarez: Spy

**Chapter 74, Fairy Tail fans!**

**I just checked the statistics, and this story is the most reviewed Gray x OC story! Thank you very much for all your reviews! I feel so loved!**

**I JUST GOT MY BRACES OFF YAYYYYYY**

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**CrystalinkA: Thank you for the review! I thought about that too- I was thinking almost identical to Acnologia, but a white body with blood red lines instead of black and blue :P**

_**Previously:**_

_"My dream," the man sobbed. "My dream..."_

_I dug a bag of coins out of my pocket, and apparently Gray had the same idea, because we both handed small bags to the man. "Take this and run," I urged, not looking back at him. "It's not much, but we can get you more later." Erza's body shone as she prepared to perform her Requip..._

_But nothing happened._

_"Space is something I own," our new enemy said cheerily. "I have a kind of magic that enables me to instantly equip anything I want. And that's why you can't use any of your spatial magic against me."_

_I groaned inwardly. Brilliant._

_Lucy tried to summon Sagittarius, but failed. The enemy, who said his name was Marin, only laughed at her expense. "Those who don't abide by my laws of space," he said quietly, "are invited to my own personal relaxation space~"_

_My two best friends vanished._

_All that was left of them was dust._

_They're still alive, I reminded myself, but it didn't feel right. Shaking, I raised my hand to my bracelet. This guy needs to go._

_"No!" Gray grabbed my hand before I could do anything else. "That uses space! You'll get trapped like Lucy and Erza!"_

_The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Marin observed me with great amusement. I don't have a way to fight._

_Unless..._

_No way. I gave up on my magic a long time ago. I can't use it unless I want to turn into a dragon._

_Then that little nagging voice in the back of my head whispered, but you have to..._

_I shook my head. If I had to become a dragon so that I could fight for my guild, then so be it. Shakily I wrenched my hand from Gray's grip and punched my fist into my hand. "Let's pound his face in."_

**Chapter 74: Alvarez: Spy**

**Nicole's POV**

"Hey."

I jerked my eyes away from the enemy to gaze into Gray's warm ones. He put a hand on my shoulder. "We'll fight him. If you really can't, then sit at the side."

"I could never do that," I argued, clenching my fists. Natsu was staring at us with a blank expression on his face. I shook my head. "No, I'm going to fight. I can and will fight any way I can, whether I've broken half the bones in my body or I'm a dragon."

Gray rolled his eyes. "I figured you'd say that-"

There was a bit of a buzz or something behind me and then a sharp pain in my back caused me to yell out and roll forward. "Too slow!" Marin cackled gleefully, suddenly appearing right in front of me. He punched out but I ducked and swept my feet out, hoping to knock him over, but he vanished again. _Must be teleportation._ I gritted my teeth and then noticed I had blood trailing down my palms from where my nails had pierced my skin.

"This happened when he dared use spatial magic in front of me," he snarled, and with a wave of a hand Mest reappeared, bruised, cut and beaten.

"MEST!" we all cried, about to run forward when Marin moved again. Natsu swung, but he vanished, and kicked, and vanished, and it was like a rehearsed dance. Marin teleported to the roof of a nearby house. I growled.

Then the newcomer showed up.

She was in a bikini and had a very visible bust, with a bob of teal coloured hair and a cloak with dark stars covering it. She walked slowly, in heels, with a bit of a confident aura. Marin grinned and welcomed her. "You pass!"

I got goosebumps. _Her magic power is off the charts! _It was nothing like what I'd felt before.

Natsu grabbed at his bandage on his arm.

I got ready to hurl an Ice Dragon's Roar her way.

"I want some star mango gelato," she said, her tone bored.

We all froze.

Her face blanked as she noticed the ruined shop. "The shop's in ruins!" she wailed, her expression now wide and horrified at the idea of not being able to have star mango gelato, surprising Gray, Natsu and I. "What happened here?"

"Oh, they went all boom!" Marin lied, pointing at us.

"Filthy liar!" we all chorused.

The over-powered lady sighed. "I was so looking forward to it..." she hung her head, depressed, and I honestly took a liking to her. For some odd reason. No clue why. "I'm going home."

"But wait, Lady Brandish!" Marin wailed.

I took the opportunity to whisper something to Natsu as the little teleporting man whined in his odd high-pitched voice to Brandish. "What do we do?" I saw him rub his bandage, anger building up in his eyes, and he didn't reply. Suddenly, a shift in the ground drew my attention. The Brandish lady stamped her foot, and the ground sunk in. I gasped and wobbled in my spot. But it didn't continue to sink. We were rising, faster and faster still, moving away from the sea. Screaming people filled my ears. "What kind of magic was that?" I stuttered, easing myself. Gray shook his head, words failing him.

Marin did a salute and Erza and Lucy fell to the ground out of nowhere, shaken up but okay. Natsu ran at the two of them, calling out, but I stayed grounded next to Gray, refusing to move.

Suddenly my head pounded. Brandish and Marin were speaking about things but I couldn't hear them. Blood roared in my head. I raised my hands, clutching at the sides of my head, sinking slightly. I felt Gray grabbing my arms but I didn't hear a thing.

It felt like an animal was roaring in my chest, ripping at my insides trying to escape. It lived in my brain, tearing with its claws and trying to escape. I fought the urge to scream.

And then it stopped.

I gasped, shaking with relief. I was almost sure it was the dragon in me.

Gray's hands grabbed my shoulders. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I wheezed, "Yeah, I'm absolutely brilliant."

He smiled in relief when we turned back to the enemy. Natsu was arguing with Brandish, and with one wave of her hand, Marin disappeared. "She... took one of her own?" I murmured, speechless. Gray looked horrified as well as everyone else from Fairy Tail.

"It's like I said, it was getting troublesome..." she sighed and continued, "I'll let them know I've taken care of the spy... So don't come anywhere near Alvarez." Her glare hardened, her resolve like steel. _How much magic power did she have? And what was it?_

I tried to wrap my mind around a solvable problem, because if I didn't solve a problem, I would panic-

"Makarov is alive."

Everyone tensed.

"But if you guys keep doing unnecessary things... Who's knows what'll happen?" she turned away from us, and she was talking to us like she was scolding a child. "This is a warning. Don't come any closer."

Then the ground shifted again. It rumbled and then... vanished.

We all fell, as well as all the people on Caracall Island, and splashed into the water while Lady Brandish stood on a small piece of the land that was left. No... That was the entire land! Had she... _shrunk _it?! I coughed, treading water, making sure Erza and Lucy were above water and swimming over to them. Gray and Natsu joined us right afterwards. "There are twelve more wizards of this power in Alvarez," Brandish stated. "So don't fight a battle you can't win...

"Fairy Tail."

_She knew our name. _

They know about us. All five of us were soaked, glaring at Brandish, thoughts spinning. "Gramps..." Natsu murmured.

"Come on," Erza urged, motioning to some nearby boats. "Let's go get aboard." I looked behind us, and Brandish was gone. Reluctantly we all paddled over. As soon as I stepped foot on the boat, my motion sense kicked in and I doubled over. While Erza started helping everyone else, Gray eased me to a bench at the side of the fishing boat, while I tried to hold down what I ate.

"She's got the power," I hissed through clenched teeth, "to shrink things. Probably make them grow, too. Controlling mass."

Gray nodded shakily. "That's pretty high level."

"Is Mest-"

"He'll be fine."

I nodded, tucking my knees up to my chest, Gray watching me in amusement. I scowled. "Why don't you-" I gagged- "try having motion sickness some time! Then you'll see how I feel!"

"But this is too much fun," he said, smirking. Then his form started to fuzz a bit, then glow, and in a flash, he was gone.

My eyes widened. _How the hell- _But then there was a tingling sensation and my scenery changed from a fishing boat to the insides of a temple. "No more transportation!" Natsu, Wendy and I cheered happily. Mest said it was his magic and Carla yelled at him for something about 'more warning'.

Gray edged away slowly as I turned towards him with a glint in my eye. "So watching me suffer is fun, eh?"

"No! Ack!" The Ice Make mage yelped in protest as I took out my ice baton with a click of a button and started repeatedly smacking him.

Erza looked like she was going to step in when she shrugged and said, "I suppose he deserves that."

"Yes, he did," I agreed, smirking. I tapped the button on my bracelet that reverted the baton to nothingness and smiled cheekily at Gray, who was glaring at me and rubbing his head. "Oops?"

"You'll pay for that," he threatened, standing up and keeping his distance. Smart. Whistling, I turned in a circle and looked around- we were underwater. "Underwater temple," Gray mused as Natsu gleefully stuck his head out the side of the temple and into the water, shaking his arms. Suddenly, the temple began to shake and shudder, and then started to move.

"Vehicle," I realized, before my killer motion sickness caused me to bend over.

"Kar~ma," Gray sang.

I barely managed to pay attention as Angel- Sorano- the spy, walked into the room. "Why's she in a bathing suit?" Gray grumbled, his own bottoms discarded. Carla shrieked at him as I struggled to hold down my lunch.

"Where are we headed?" Wendy groaned from my right.

"Hell," I answered with a moan.

"We're going to where Makarov is."

All heads swiveled to Sorano.

"How do you like me now?" she purred.

* * *

**:)**

**If anyone has a Deviantart account or an art account in general, I'd love to get a picture of Nicole. I think it's time the story gets a cover photo, don't you think? I'd very much appreciate it.**

**Any pose is fine. Outfits have been described numerous times, but if you have another idea, feel free.**

**A picture of her with Gray is cool too :)**


	75. Alvarez: Desert King and Ice Queen

**Chapter 75! Three quarters of the way to 100!**

**Dr4gonIc3F34th3r has made me a brilliant cover photo of Nicole and Gray that I should have up ASAP. Thank you so so so much :) :D**

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_**Previously:**_

_"She's got the power," I hissed through clenched teeth, "to shrink things. Probably make them grow, too. Controlling mass."_

_Gray nodded shakily. "That's pretty high level."_

_"Is Mest-"_

_"He'll be fine."_

_I nodded, tucking my knees up to my chest, Gray watching me in amusement. I scowled. "Why don't you-" I gagged- "try having motion sickness some time! Then you'll see how I feel!"_

_"But this is too much fun," he said, smirking. Then his form started to fuzz a bit, then glow, and in a flash, he was gone._

_My eyes widened. How the hell- But then there was a tingling sensation and my scenery changed from a fishing boat to the insides of a temple. "No more transportation!" Natsu, Wendy and I cheered happily. Mest said it was his magic and Carla yelled at him for something about 'more warning'._

_Gray edged away slowly as I turned towards him with a glint in my eye. "So watching me suffer is fun, eh?"_

_"No! Ack!" The Ice Make mage yelped in protest as I took out my ice baton with a click of a button and started repeatedly smacking him._

_Erza looked like she was going to step in when she shrugged and said, "I suppose he deserves that."_

_"Yes, he did," I agreed, smirking. I tapped the button on my bracelet that reverted the baton to nothingness and smiled cheekily at Gray, who was glaring at me and rubbing his head. "Oops?"_

_"You'll pay for that," he threatened, standing up and keeping his distance. Smart. Whistling, I turned in a circle and looked around- we were underwater. "Underwater temple," Gray mused as Natsu gleefully stuck his head out the side of the temple and into the water, shaking his arms. Suddenly, the temple began to shake and shudder, and then started to move._

_"Vehicle," I realized, before my killer motion sickness caused me to bend over._

_"Kar~ma," Gray sang._

_I barely managed to pay attention as Angel- Sorano- the spy, walked into the room. "Why's she in a bathing suit?" Gray grumbled, his own bottoms discarded. Carla shrieked at him as I struggled to hold down my lunch._

_"Where are we headed?" Wendy groaned from my right._

_"Hell," I answered with a moan._

_"We're going to where Makarov is."_

_All heads swiveled to Sorano._

_"How do you like me now?" she purred._

**Chapter 75: Alvarez: The Desert King and the Ice Queen**

**Nicole's POV**

Mest lead us through the forest and said he was finally close enough to look for Makarov. He warned us he didn't know the exact place so he may be a few minutes, and vanished. Frustrated, I sat down, grinding my teeth together, kicking at the dirt. I wanted to do _something _productive.

"Frustrated?"

I looked up. It was Gray.

"Yeah, just a bit."

"At anyone in particular?"

"Besides the usual?"

"Which is?"

"You."

"Ha ha. You're hilarious. Who else?"

"...Myself?"

I like to think that this was when he realized that the conversation was going to get a lot deeper. "Can I sit?" I nodded, no words being used, and he plopped down into the dirt next to me. We sat in silence for a minute before he asked, "So?"

"So what?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're mad at yourself why?"

I stared up at the sky, watching the leaves on the trees shake and shudder in the breeze. I thought of how best to word the many thoughts that streamed through my brain. "Hmm. How do I explain it?..." I concentrated on one thought. "Well, I'm going to be entirely useless in this war."

He chuckled. Chuckling was a funny thing. "You're never useless. If you can't fight you'll scream at people to."

I shrugged. "Fair enough. But..." I trailed off.

"The dragon thing," he supplied.

I nodded. "That."

"Do you know how soon that'll be?" Gray questioned, staring at me. His gaze made me want to unleash the lock on my brain and pour my heart and soul out to him, but now probably wasn't the best time.

"I have a hope," I said absentmindedly, completely out of nowhere.

Gray did a double-take. "Huh?"

"I tend to beat around the bush, eh?" I laughed. Laughter. A musical sound.

Gray smirked. "Sure. Elaborate."

"Okay, um," I stammered, "Well, remember the year gap?" He nodded, the tips of his ears reddening. "Well, remember how I spent a month to myself? Told you I needed special training time?"

Another nod.

"Okay, so it wasn't exactly special training," I confessed. I glanced at him, he didn't seem surprised. Rolling my oddly colored eyes, I continued. "I went after Acnologia."

Gray tensed visibly, his shoulders stiffening.

"And I found him."

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he snapped, forehead red. Erza, Natsu, Lucy and Wendy turned back to us quizzically. Gray flushed and waved them off. He turned back to me. "Seriously. What the hell were you thinking?"

I shrugged, agitated. "Oh, I don't know," I snapped, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "maybe I just needed answers nobody else could give me?!"

We were both glaring at each other, neither one of us moving. The other Fairy Tail mages on our team were now all watching, unashamed of eavesdropping.

"He could've killed you," Gray scowled. "Sometimes I'm pretty sure you have no regard for your own life."

"I needed answers!" I roared, standing up. "Answers! Answers that nobody else could give me! There's a thing called _risk, _Fullbuster, maybe you've heard of it." His jaw opened and snapped shut immediately. "And for the love of god, I said I had hope! So why are you so pissed? I never would've found out!"

He started to speak. "Look, I really shouldn't-"

I jabbed a finger at his bare chest. "My motives are perfectly clear. Yes, Fullbuster, you really shouldn't have picked a fight over something so stupid. I finally have a chance of not being a complete dragon, and you yell at me for it?!" I shook my head, wiping my eyes. "God, what is wrong with you?!"

"Nicole." Gray said firmly, grabbing my wrist. "Calm down."

"NO!" I hollered. It felt so good to yell, so good to get my piled-up aggression out. I wanted to yell it to all of the world, I wanted to scream at someone. Everyone! I had a trigger, a trigger Gray pulled without meaning to. "No, I will NOT calm down." I tugged my wrist out of his grip, almost breaking his hand. "In case your small mind hasn't figured it out already, _I need a break!"_

I turned on my heel and marched off into the forest.

***.*.*.***

It could've been seconds, minutes, or hours, I didn't know which, but I took a good twenty steps away, and then screamed at the top of my lungs. I honestly didn't care who heard, I just wanted to break something, punch something, kill something, _anything. _With a battle cry I slammed my fist into a tree, cracking it in half. The tree toppled over, leaves fluttering to the ground at my feet.

"I- Just- Ugh- Kill- Acnologia- Dragon- AAAAAAAGH!"

I sat myself down on the sandy ground, hard. I knew I was acting like a toddler, throwing my little tantrum, but it needed to be done.

"Whoa there."

I spun on the spot, breathing hard, and saw a man with dark, wild hair sticking up behind him and baggy pants. He had a sickening smirk on his face. His magic power level was huge- as high as that lady on Caracall Island, Brandish. He must be part of their elite twelve. _Someone to punch._

"Quite the aggressive one!" he nodded to the fallen tree, then turned back to me. "Makarov leaving already? Without his souvenirs?"

I only stared, my mind trying to filter in what I was hearing.

"Well, then," he murmured, "seeing as you're one of his kids, I'll just kill you first-"

He never got a chance because I slammed my fist into his face.

It was so satisfying, the sound of his nose breaking and the feeling of blood on my knuckles. I felt sick- how can I take pleasure in something like this? But he stumbled backwards, by the fallen tree. "Been a long time since I felt a punch like that," he cackled. He didn't get a chance to move as I picked up the fallen top half of the tree and chucked it with decent aim at his head.

Unfortunately it passed clean through. I paused, dumbfounded.

"Guess I can't go easy on you," he mused. He raised a hand darkly and I tensed. Then something wrapped around my ankles. Startled, I looked down and saw sand, wrapping itself around my ankles and pulling me down into the ground. _Solve a problem. Solve a problem! _

I was panicking.

_He has power over sand. _Problem solved. I was up to my thighs in quicksand. Thinking fast, I shoved my hands into the quicksand.

He cackled loudly, marching over to me and planting a boot on my head. "Want to die faster? Don't blame you."

The look on his face was so satisfying when the sand around us froze, freezing into ice. The look of surprise made me grin cheekily. I tugged my hands out of the ice with a bit of a shattering sound and tapped my index finger to the ground. "Ice Dragon's Battlezone," I whispered. The area around us froze over. Panic flashed briefly over his face, but he recovered and took some quick steps back as I freed myself from the frozen sand.

"You the strong and silent type, then?"

I wasn't one for not being talkative. "Ah, fuck off."

His eyes widened. "Language! Name's Ajeel, King of the Sand, Desert King, whatever you wish to call me."

"How about," I snarled, "dead meat?!"

I unleashed an Ice Dragon's Roar that hit him directly on. Ajeel went flying and was stopped by a tree, which he rebounded off of and pushed his palms out. "You've got some spunk, girly!" he cried, sending forth a wall of sand monsters. I whipped out my ice baton and sliced them all down in a flash. Scowling, I slammed the butt of the staff into the ground and a huge icy spike burst forth, Ajeel barely dodging. I sent another, and another, the Desert King dancing away every time. If my attack did skim him, it did nothing- his body was made of sand.

Suddenly, there was a roar of wind, and the ice around my feet shattered. I hit the gem on my snowflake charm and my weapon vanished as the sandstorm picked up, my hair whipping every which way and sand stinging my eyes. I gritted my teeth.

"Welcome to hell, girly," I heard, and then my side erupted in pain, the invisible attack slicing open my side. I grimaced and covered the wound with my hands, a thin layer of ice covering it.

I heard his voice again, then saw his face near my own.

"What would Makarov think about his souvenir being your dead body?"

My shoulder hissed in pain, blood exploding from the cut.

***.*.*.***

**Normal POV**

He was fuming with anger until he heard the scream.

Yes, she had been screaming. Erza recommended leaving her alone to cool off, and Gray had no intention of chasing after her- he was only worried for her, god dammit, she didn't have to over react!

But then another high pitched scream echoed along with a blast of chilly air. Gray's head swiveled around. Ice was creeping along the sandy ground.

"She's just frustrated," Erza stated calmly. "Let her blow off some steam."

Lucy nodded, worried, and Wendy stared off in the direction that Nicole had gone. Natsu started pacing, waiting for Gramps.

And then Mest appeared.

They all crowded their guild master, with shouts of relief and happiness. Natsu stared off in the direction of the castle when Mest said Zeref was there. As Makarov explained the situation, Gray worriedly glanced behind him. Nicole should've been able to smell Makarov and Mest. Where was she?_ No. Stop worrying! She's fine! _

"Zeref's here?" Lucy repeated.

Makarov gazed at the ground. "I had no idea the Emperor of this land, who called himself Emperor Spriggan, was actually Zeref himself."

Everyone's eyes widened.

As tears began to spill from Makarov's eyes, Gray forgot about Nicole for one brief second to comfort the soon-to-be eighth master of Fairy Tail.

That was his mistake.

The air shifted.

Suddenly there was a rush of sand, out of nowhere. It wasn't a natural disaster, Gray knew. The sand swirled like a wall in between the direction Nicole had vanished and themselves. "What..." Lucy whispered. "What is that?"

"Ajeel," Makarov said hauntingly. "The Desert King. Power over sand. Come, we have to get out of here! You can't fight him, he's out of your level!"

"No!" Natsu cried, fists igniting. "We can-"

"Those are the Master's orders," Erza said strictly. "Let's move out, get back to Sorano's ship!"

"But what about Nicole?!" Wendy shrieked, staring off at the growing sand storm.

Gray flinched. How could he forget?

"Nicole's here?!" Makarov cried. "Where is she?!"

"There!" Lucy pointed at the wall of sand.

The Master looked stricken with guilt and disbelief. "No. _No. _Ajeel... AJEEL!"

"We can't leave her!" Natsu howled. "Let's-"

But the sand storm vanished. Like it was never there.

Gray and Natsu both wasted no time. They bolted at the opening in the weakened trees, searching for the friend, partner, and guild mate. "Smell her?" Gray asked Natsu desperately.

The Fire Dragon Slayer shook his head. "She was here. It's fresh, but faded because of the sand storm." He sniffed again, and his eyes lit up. "No, wait! It's-"

"Going somewhere, Makarov?"

All seven of the mages (and the two exceeds) spun on the spot. Ajeel stood a dozen feet behind them, his hair dusty and his expression proud. He had a few scratches and cuts on him. But he was holding Nicole up by the neck. She was still wearing her black bathing suit top and jeans shorts, but her body was wracked with cuts. There was a large one at her side, and blood ran down her hip and stained her shorts. Another large cut on her shoulder was running down her front, the coppery smell of blood filling the clearing.

Gray was speechless. _This was the power of a Spriggan Twleve?!_

"No," Wendy whispered, her hands flying to her mouth.

Natsu clenched his fists.

"Ah, but don't you need your souvenirs?" he taunted. His grip tightened on Nicole's neck, causing the blood from a small cut on the side of her neck to pulse and ooze more blood. "How about her dead body?"

He raised his hand behind him and aimed at her lower back, ready to strike the fatal attack.

"NO!" Erza shouted, but she couldn't risk attacking from that distance without hitting Nicole.

Desperately Gray raised his hands, ready to strike should Nicole survive.

But she handled it on her own.

Apparently not as unconscious as she seemed, Nicole twisted, and the surprised Ajeel's hand went right past her mid section. Suddenly, there was a flash of dark light, and Nicole's bikini top and blood-stained shorts gave way for a red kimono with a black sash. Her hair suddenly loose and wild (and red), Nicole lunged at Ajeel, sinking a knee into his groin and then striking downwards with her elbow on top of his head. Ajeel was pounded down, creating a crater in the ground.

Nicole pressed her hands to the ground in front of him and whispered, "Seal." The crater froze over, trapping Ajeel inside. Her black, soulless eyes swept over her guild mates and settled on her shoulder. She placed her left hand on top of it. All the blood that had leaked from her shoulder seemed to flow towards the cut, almost as if attracted by a magnet. The blood flowed back into her body. She placed a hand on her hip and did the same thing. Shaking herself out, she growled at the frozen mage, "Asshole."

Makarov's eyes widened. _She's gotten so much stronger..._

"Let's go," she said instantly. The kimono vanished, her hair twisting with magic into its blood-streaked ponytail. Her flip flops returned along with her jeans shorts and black bathing suit top. "He won't stay there forever," she added to the dumb-struck Fairy Tail members. "Let's GO!"

They all turned on their heels and fled in the direction of the magic carriage, no one asking Nicole any questions along the way.

* * *

**I was writing the chapter and saved it halfway through- it was exactly 999 words. So much skill.**


	76. Alvarez: Sand VS Ice

**Chapter 76 is here!**

**I'm STILL getting more followers to this story, which is incredible, considering this story is past 75 chapters. Thank you guys very much!**

**_Previously:_**

_"Going somewhere, Makarov?"_

_All seven of the mages (and the two exceeds) spun on the spot. Ajeel stood a dozen feet behind them, his hair dusty and his expression proud. He had a few scratches and cuts on him. But he was holding Nicole up by the neck. She was still wearing her black bathing suit top and jeans shorts, but her body was wracked with cuts. There was a large one at her side, and blood ran down her hip and stained her shorts. Another large cut on her shoulder was running down her front, the coppery smell of blood filling the clearing._

_Gray was speechless. This was the power of a Spriggan Twleve?!_

_"No," Wendy whispered, her hands flying to her mouth._

_Natsu clenched his fists._

_"Ah, but don't you need your souvenirs?" he taunted. His grip tightened on Nicole's neck, causing the blood from a small cut on the side of her neck to pulse and ooze more blood. "How about her dead body?"_

_He raised his hand behind him and aimed at her lower back, ready to strike the fatal attack._

_"NO!" Erza shouted, but she couldn't risk attacking from that distance without hitting Nicole._

_Desperately Gray raised his hands, ready to strike should Nicole survive._

_But she handled it on her own._

_Apparently not as unconscious as she seemed, Nicole twisted, and the surprised Ajeel's hand went right past her mid section. Suddenly, there was a flash of dark light, and Nicole's bikini top and blood-stained shorts gave way for a red kimono with a black sash. Her hair suddenly loose and wild (and red), Nicole lunged at Ajeel, sinking a knee into his groin and then striking downwards with her elbow on top of his head. Ajeel was pounded down, creating a crater in the ground._

_Nicole pressed her hands to the ground in front of him and whispered, "Seal." The crater froze over, trapping Ajeel inside. Her black, soulless eyes swept over her guild mates and settled on her shoulder. She placed her left hand on top of it. All the blood that had leaked from her shoulder seemed to flow towards the cut, almost as if attracted by a magnet. The blood flowed back into her body. She placed a hand on her hip and did the same thing. Shaking herself out, she growled at the frozen mage, "Asshole."_

_Makarov's eyes widened. She's gotten so much stronger..._

_"Let's go," she said instantly. The kimono vanished, her hair twisting with magic into its blood-streaked ponytail. Her flip flops returned along with her jeans shorts and black bathing suit top. "He won't stay there forever," she added to the dumb-struck Fairy Tail members. "Let's GO!"_

_They all turned on their heels and fled in the direction of the magic carriage, no one asking Nicole any questions along the way._

**Chapter 76: Alvarez: Sand VS Ice**

**Normal POV**

It just was not Nicole's day. So, being her, she voiced her opinion loudly.

"This is _not _my day!"

Well, after a fight with Gray, who she had literally JUST gotten onto friendly terms with, she had defeated (kinda) one of the Spriggan 12, and life was just plain confusing.

She stumbled a bit, and Lucy helped her up. They hoisted each other into the magic carriage as Erza strapped herself in, wrapping the gauge around her wrist. "Everybody, hang on!" The vehicle roared to life.

Natsu and Wendy both gagged and held their stomachs. Nicole did the same, her cuts and scars no longer bleeding but were a display of Ajeel's power. "That's it," she growled before she heaved forwards, almost spilling her insides. "I... I'm..."

"You're what?" Lucy asked.

"Revenge!" she squeaked as she threw herself backwards, out through the window, out of the carriage.

_"NICOLE!"_

"You idiot!" Gray howled. Mest's jaw dropped.

The Dragon Slayer burped. "At least..." Natsu grumbled.

"She's not," Wendy added, covering her mouth.

Natsu finished. "On transportation!"

An idea flickered into Lucy's brain as she tried to understand what Nicole was attempting to do. "If her weakness is transportation," she said aloud, tapping her finger to her chin, "then if she wanted to fight, she'd want to avoid that weakness, right?"

Gray's eyes bugged. Makarov yelled, "she still wants to fight?!" Then, under his breath, "I didn't think she could get any more stubborn."

The raven-haired mage swung his head out the window. They were going so fast that Nicole wasn't even visible. For a second, worst case scenarios overtook him, and he thought she could be dead, or being pummeled by Ajeel, as he had yet to appear-

It looked like a bullet that was speeding towards them. Large, complex, ice wings with spread in the air, and large black blasts were flying behind the wings. Nicole was flying, soaring with the help of her ice wings and propelling herself from her hands with blasts of black, chaotic energy. He could barely make out the determined and frustrated expression on her face. Gray was amazed.

And then the unthinkable happened.

A huge, ugly sand creature rose up from the ground, charging at the carriage with equal or greater speed. Nicole, the flying blur, was in between the carriage and the monster. "Come on, Lucy," Gray urged.

Lucy nodded. "Right!" The two carefully crawled on top of the carriage.

"You don't stand a chance!" Makarov cried, his opinions lost in the wind.

Lucy changed her star dress into the Sagittarius form, her pink bikini gone. Gray's hair stood on end and the black tattoos covered the right half of his body. Makarov acknowledged their magic in awe. Nicole saw them both ready to attack and ducked low, soaring low to the ground, as Gray whispered his father's name and the sand monster completely froze over.

Happy squealed as Ajeel jumped out the top of the ice and launched forwards, throwing his arm up and sending an army of sand bat-like creatures their way. "More sand monsters!" the exceed cried.

"Leave it to me," Lucy said, and in a flash of light, the bow she had gripped in her hands shot multiple arrows, all finding their marks and destroying every last creature.

The creatures kept coming. Gray and Lucy kept shooting.

Nicole flipped onto her back, and still using her hands and chaos magic to push herself as fast as she could forwards, screamed "CHAOS DRAGON'S ROAR!" and Ajeel was enveloped in a hideous black funnel on magic. To her fury and growing annoyance, Ajeel vanished into the sand.

"Ant Lion Larva's Pit!"

Suddenly, there was a hole in the ground beneath them, and the carriage seemed to fall in slow motion towards the ground. Erza cried out and the two mages standing on top of the vehicle tumbled down in the direction of the pit. Gray braced himself for impact when nothing came.

Nicole had grabbed him.

She was holding him by the wrist, panting heavily, her wings barely keeping her up. Gray started to wonder if he was actually that heavy when he noticed Lucy's ankle in Nicole's other hand. Below them, Erza, Makarov, Natsu, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were all rapidly sinking. Quicksand.

The Ice Dragon Slayer winced and their elevation dropped. She couldn't hold the both of them up. She was slowly lowering, drifting to one side.

"Nicole!" Gray howled at her. "Let me go! Take Lucy!"

She grunted, which he assumed was her stubborn response, and with all her might, threw Lucy towards the closest side of the pit. The blonde mage cleared the death trap and tumbled safely into the sand. One of her burdens relieved, Nicole flew up again, which was much easier with less weight, and started flying to the side, when a sand arrow flew past her face.

The female mage halted, growling, and faced Ajeel, her wings beating rapidly. The man smirked. "You still alive?"

Frantically, Gray looked down. Natsu and the others were up to their necks in sand.

"Star shot!"

An arrow pierced Ajeel in the side of the head. "NOW!" Lucy shrieked from the side.

Nicole dove at her enemy, hurling Gray to the side, where he tumbled over and stood up. As Ajeel ripped the arrow out of the side of his sand-made body, Nicole's icy fist struck him in the face. He flew backwards, and when he was about to retaliate, she followed up. "Chaos Dragon's Twister!" The ground under Ajeel erupted into a black funnel and swallowed him whole.

As the Desert King turned the tornado to sand, Nicole shot forwards again. "Ice Dragon's Avalanche!" A large wave of ice, some pieces the size of her palm and others the size of the carriage, flew at Ajeel.

He evaporated them all into sand with a wave of his hand. A sand storm began again. He cackled loudly. "You'll never win!"

Natsu incinerated the sand that was trapping the Fairy Tail mages and they all grounded themselves as the sand storm whipped up. "Stay close!" Erza howled, but her voice was gone in the wind. Gray squinted his eyes to try to make out any shapes in the storm. The sand was tearing at his hair, his clothes. He heard Lucy nearby, but her voice and sound was vanishing.

Then it all vanished. Like it was never there.

Nicole and Ajeel stood in the middle of the clearing, frozen like the pause feature in movies.

Her palm was right at Ajeel's chest. The Desert King's face was frozen in a lovely expression of surprise and his eyes were bugged out. "How..." he whispered, before the scene unfroze and he collapsed.

Nicole's flickering red eyes glared daggers at him.

Then she too fainted, eyes rolling into the back of her head.


	77. Alvarez: Side by Side

**Chapter 77!**

**:)**

_**Previously:**_

_"Nicole!" Gray howled at her. "Let me go! Take Lucy!"_

_She grunted, which he assumed was her stubborn response, and with all her might, threw Lucy towards the closest side of the pit. The blonde mage cleared the death trap and tumbled safely into the sand. One of her burdens relieved, Nicole flew up again, which was much easier with less weight, and started flying to the side, when a sand arrow flew past her face._

_The female mage halted, growling, and faced Ajeel, her wings beating rapidly. The man smirked. "You still alive?"_

_Frantically, Gray looked down. Natsu and the others were up to their necks in sand._

_"Star shot!"_

_An arrow pierced Ajeel in the side of the head. "NOW!" Lucy shrieked from the side._

_Nicole dove at her enemy, hurling Gray to the side, where he tumbled over and stood up. As Ajeel ripped the arrow out of the side of his sand-made body, Nicole's icy fist struck him in the face. He flew backwards, and when he was about to retaliate, she followed up. "Chaos Dragon's Twister!" The ground under Ajeel erupted into a black funnel and swallowed him whole._

_As the Desert King turned the tornado to sand, Nicole shot forwards again. "Ice Dragon's Avalanche!" A large wave of ice, some pieces the size of her palm and others the size of the carriage, flew at Ajeel._

_He evaporated them all into sand with a wave of his hand. A sand storm began again. He cackled loudly. "You'll never win!"_

_Natsu incinerated the sand that was trapping the Fairy Tail mages and they all grounded themselves as the sand storm whipped up. "Stay close!" Erza howled, but her voice was gone in the wind. Gray squinted his eyes to try to make out any shapes in the storm. The sand was tearing at his hair, his clothes. He heard Lucy nearby, but her voice and sound was vanishing._

_Then it all vanished. Like it was never there._

_Nicole and Ajeel stood in the middle of the clearing, frozen like the pause feature in movies._

_Her palm was right at Ajeel's chest. The Desert King's face was frozen in a lovely expression of surprise and his eyes were bugged out. "How..." he whispered, before the scene unfroze and he collapsed._

_Nicole's flickering red eyes glared daggers at him._

_Then she too fainted, eyes rolling into the back of her head._

**Chapter 77: Alvarez: Side by Side**

**Nicole's POV**

I woke up on transportation.

I started to panic when I realized I wasn't sick. Magic, maybe? I sat up- I was laying down on a white cot of sorts. My head and shoulder were both wrapped heavily in bandages, I had one placed on my forehead, and a few dozen were wrapped around my legs. I sighed and tried to stand, but immediately sat back down- the pain was a bit much.

Then I noticed Gray.

He was sitting in a small wooden chair at the corner of the room, his head tilted back against the wall. He was snoring loudly. I smirked, then immediately saddened. He and I had just fought.

Then my head swam, spots clouded my vision, and I slipped back into unconsciousness.

***.*.***

I woke up again in a room at the guild.

I heard the yells of laughter and loud bangs of noise. Apparently the guild was back to normal. I had basic white sheets covering me, my clothes laid out beside the bed, bandages covering almost every inch of my skin. I sighed, and grabbed my clothes, clenching my teeth through the pain as I struggled to put them on. I gritted my teeth and unwrapped some of the bandages. The cuts looked odd and red, and slightly swollen. But nevertheless, I managed to stand, throwing on jean shorts and my long sleeved black crop top. Who needs the vest?

_Hell, I need the vest._ I grabbed it and threw it on. I pushed open the door, stumbling and walking with a bit of a limp, and walked into the guild hall, unnoticed. Everyone was focused on the First.

My dragon ears perked up.

"It's not a sin to fall in love, you can't even arrest somebody for that."

Was that... Gajeel?!

"PFFFFFFFT!" I couldn't hold back my laugh and the laughter exploded from my mouth as every head turned in my direction to the back of the room. "I never thought I'd hear those words come out of old Iron Heart's mouth!"

Everyone gaped at me, and then the smiles came. "Nicole!" Lucy cried, giving me a hug as I came over. "You're alright!"

"I've been better," I grumbled as Erza attacked me in a side hug.

"Oi! Princess!" Gajeel sputtered, his face flushed. "What'd you think you're-"

I grabbed him in a hug. "I missed ya, you old Iron Head."

He grunted and pulled me off of him. "Yeah, yeah, Ice Queen, go off and find Pervert or something."

I oh-so obviously ignored him and focused back on the First, who was watching us all banter with a smile on her face. "First, don't blame yourself so much," Erza assured her, smiling up at the ghost.

"You being here is what connects us all," Gray murmured. Our eyes locked for a second and a silent message went through.

_We need to talk._

"LEAVE THAT TO ME!"

The Fire Dragon Slayer leaped up onto the wooden table, a glint forming in his eye. "I'll take Zeref down!" he cried, holding up his arm, which was wrapped in bandages. "I've been developing a technique in secret anyways!"

"What's this plan?" Erza asked eagerly. Everyone leaned in closely.

Natsu grinned. "It's a secret! That's why it's called a secret plan!"

Seven of us struck Natsu at once, including me, Elfman, and Gray. "Idiot," I scoffed, the family love for Natsu filling up my tiny heart.

The Master went on to explain the potential enemies that any one of us could be facing, but I only half listened. Ajeel's face filled my thoughts and I clenched my fist. Whoever's going to beat him up better do it well. Or, I can beat him up! That would be nice.

And then, it was nightfall, and everyone was preparing for the large amount of rest we needed before chaos would ensue.

***.*.***

Gray and I agreed to meet.

I pulled on an extremely fuzzy black coat (I love fuzzy coats!) and my blue jeans. It wasn't exactly warm anymore, and with two ice mages, things were going to freeze. I took a deep breath, calming myself, and left Lucy's apartment, bidding her good-bye. Gray said to meet him near the bridge...

Oh, there he is. My teeth chattered.

The sound of my foot steps echoed on the ground as I moved near him to stand next to him. He was eating a chocolate bar or something. I raised an eyebrow. He turned towards me and held it out. "Want some?"

"Yeah, sure," I mumbled. I broke a piece off and handed it back, gnawing on the cold chocolate. We both stood in silence.

Then, he breathed a little bit louder than normal and started to talk. "Look. I don't take back what I said." I stiffened and started to object but he waved me off. "You were an idiot to go after Acnologia. No, seriously, let me talk uninterrupted for once."

I clamped my jaw shut, glaring at him.

"Okay." He cleared his throat. "You're a complete and total idiot, but you know that already. So you went in search of Acnologia in the first month before you came to the village to train with me. Right?" I nodded. "Okay. And you found him, right?" Another nod. "But you're still here, and you seemed fine when you found the village, so nothing overly bad could have happened."

He turned towards me, his dark eyes boring into mine. I tensed, unsure of what to do. "I'm taking a step back here," he clarified quietly. "I want you to explain what happened. I won't interrupt."

"You'll actually do that?" I snorted. "Who are you and what have you done with Gray?"

"Funny," Gray said, smirking. He gazed at me. "I'm giving you time to talk."

"Right," I said quickly. I stared up at the sky. "Well, I went to find Acnologia, and it took me about a week or two of searching. He's got a certain scent, really dark and full of death, so it was easy to trail. It was just the matter of catching up to him. That's how I made my wing spell." I smiled, remembering. "You know? I was thinking about how much easier it would've been if Lucky was still alive..." my throat dried.

"Anyways. I thought I'd make my own way to fly. It saps a lot of energy after a while but I can go pretty fast." I smiled, shaking my head. "Lucky would be proud. ANYWAYS. I found him, and we... talked."

He raised an eyebrow and made a motion with his hand that said 'elaborate'. "Well, finding a dragon is pretty easy, right? It got more difficult. He's got a human form."

I heard Gray inhale sharply and all the words tumbled out of my mouth. "He had a human form!" I repeated, with more excitement. "Like, a real human! He had really long blueish silver hair, like Gajeel's length, and had a bunch of scars, and blue tattoos on the arm that's still there!" My happiness faded. "We fought, at first. It was brutal. But he did answer some of my questions."

"Like?"

"Like how he didn't make anti-bodies," I said, "so I am going to turn into a dragon. But... but it may be possible that I can still transform from a dragon to a human. It'll be difficult to control, though, and I might go crazy-"

"Nicole," Gray said quietly. "That's amazing."

I remembered the 'no interruptions!' rule but I didn't care. A large grin split across Gray's face. "You know what this means?" he said, his voice shaking slightly. "You... You're not going to be a full dragon. You'll still be human, you'll still be a part of Fairy Tail!"

"I always would've been," I corrected, smiling, "but now, I actually can be."

He wrapped his arms around me in a huge hug. I hugged back, grinning into his shoulder. He was cold, but it was extremely comforting. "That's fantastic," he breathed. "You actually might be able to stay with us."

"Might," I emphasized, pulling away, smiling. "It'll be difficult to control."

"If anyone can do it, you can," Gray assured me. "You're the most stubborn person I know.'

"I know," I said with a grin. The grin slowly started to fade. "But... I won't be able to control it at first. I won't be able to tell friends from enemies. He said..." I coughed. "He said it could take years."

Gray was still smiling, or smirking, or something. "Why do I feel like you will be perfectly fine?"

"It's going to be soon," I reminded him. "What if we're in the middle of war? And we're fighting together? And then I go berserk, turn into a dragon, and try to kill you?" I lowered my head. "You were at the Dragon King Festival. You know how bad those dragons were. I'll be even worse- I've got Acnologia's blood." All the thoughts collected in my head. I was going to kill so many innocent people. "But I have to fight. I can't be useless."

"I know," he said, touching his forehead to mine and shutting his eyes. "You're stronger than you realize."

The wind chilled my face, but I felt so incredibly warm. "So we're good?" I whispered, my voice almost lost in the wind.

"We're good," Gray answered. We both hugged tightly, and I felt like everything was right in the world. "Want to stay at my place?" he added. "We'll probably be fighting together, so it would be better if we just stayed together." His cheeks flamed.

My cheeks flushed right back. "Yeah," I said, face red from cold and embarrassment. "Yeah. Good plan."

"You know," he mused as we turned and started to walk. "I was really stupid to yell at you like that."

"Yes, you were."

"And you were really stupid to run away like that."

"Yes, I was."

"But..." Gray sighed. "I was just worried, you know that. Right?"

"Yep," I responded breezily. "And you know I was just stressed?"

He nodded. "I just..." He took a while to form words, so we walked in silence until the words came to him and he spoke. "If you were going to turn into a dragon," he said quietly, almost making me stop in my tracks. "I didn't want to miss anything, you know? I didn't want to... miss out on you, while you were still here." Gray sighed. My eyes widened. "So when you said you went to Acnologia, I was just trying to make you realize that I don't want you to do anything stupid. Because I don't want to miss out on..." his voice caught. "On the time we have left."

I stared at my shoes. "But you said that you can turn back to human," he added, "so... I mean, that's great, because I don't have to think as much about that."

I snorted. "Yeah, I couldn't have you thinking of me, now could I?"

He glared at me playfully. "I'm kidding," I said, smiling. "I get where you're coming from, and I completely understand that. Actually, I think that's the most serious I've ever seen you be."

"Oi," he snapped, shoving my shoulder playfully.

I laughed. We had reached his apartment. "That's the truth," I joked as he opened the door. "But honestly, I'm glad you told me."

We made it into his apartment room and I got rid of my coat. His apartment was much warmer than the cool night air. He got rid of everything but his pants (thank god) and sat down on his bed. I sat down next to him.

Normally, this would be awkward. But Lucy and Natsu had shared a bed too many times to count, cuddling together all night. And we had done this before, like on that crappy vacation, or when we trained and I woke up with nightmares.

"You know what?" I mused, laying down, my head flopping down on the pillow. "I don't want to miss out on anything either."

He smiled, lay down, and we both slept peacefully that night, side by side, like I've always wanted it to be.


	78. Alvarez: The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 78!**

**We are on to the final battle! Thank you very much for the few reviews! :D I know I don't get many but every single review means a lot to me :)**

**Chapters may be a bit slower as I wait for the manga to progress, but I will amuse you all with specials. Thinking of a Halloween one :)**

_**Previously:**_

_My cheeks flushed right back. "Yeah," I said, face red from cold and embarrassment. "Yeah. Good plan."_

_"You know," he mused as we turned and started to walk. "I was really stupid to yell at you like that."_

_"Yes, you were."_

_"And you were really stupid to run away like that."_

_"Yes, I was."_

_"But..." Gray sighed. "I was just worried, you know that. Right?"_

_"Yep," I responded breezily. "And you know I was just stressed?"_

_He nodded. "I just..." He took a while to form words, so we walked in silence until the words came to him and he spoke. "If you were going to turn into a dragon," he said quietly, almost making me stop in my tracks. "I didn't want to miss anything, you know? I didn't want to... miss out on you, while you were still here." Gray sighed. My eyes widened. "So when you said you went to Acnologia, I was just trying to make you realize that I don't want you to do anything stupid. Because I don't want to miss out on..." his voice caught. "On the time we have left."_

_I stared at my shoes. "But you said that you can turn back to human," he added, "so... I mean, that's great, because I don't have to think as much about that."_

_I snorted. "Yeah, I couldn't have you thinking of me, now could I?"_

_He glared at me playfully. "I'm kidding," I said, smiling. "I get where you're coming from, and I completely understand that. Actually, I think that's the most serious I've ever seen you be."_

_"Oi," he snapped, shoving my shoulder playfully._

_I laughed. We had reached his apartment. "That's the truth," I joked as he opened the door. "But honestly, I'm glad you told me."_

_We made it into his apartment room and I got rid of my coat. His apartment was much warmer than the cool night air. He got rid of everything but his pants (thank god) and sat down on his bed. I sat down next to him._

_Normally, this would be awkward. But Lucy and Natsu had shared a bed too many times to count, cuddling together all night. And we had done this before, like on that crappy vacation, or when we trained and I woke up with nightmares._

_"You know what?" I mused, laying down, my head flopping down on the pillow. "I don't want to miss out on anything either."_

_He smiled, lay down, and we both slept peacefully that night, side by side, like I've always wanted it to be._

**Chapter 78: Alvarez: The Beginning of the End**

**Nicole's POV**

Okay, maybe 'sleep' was a bit exaggerated.

We got about ten minutes of rest before I bolted off Gray's bed, the tangy, musty scent hitting my nose, fresh as day. "They're here!" Flustered, I smoothed down my blue tank top, threw on my green jacket, and brushed off my pants.

"Huh?" He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.

"They're here," I panicked, "I can smell them! Oh god! I don't know the plan!"

"Calm down," he grumbled, standing up slowly. "How'd you know they were here?"

"They smell absolutely disgusting," I snapped. Together, we stormed out his front door and gazed up. "SHIT," I groaned, "they're right above us!"

"You've got two choices," Gray said quickly, throwing on a shirt. "The dragon slayers are going with their exceeds to fight off the air force. Or you can join the others as we protect the grounds. It's your call."

I bit my lip. Gray was going to be part of the 'other' category, but my talents would be better used in the sky. "I'll do both," I promised. "I'll start in the air and work my way down."

"Okay." Gray turned, and the bell started to ring, symbolizing that we needed to go. "Nicole?"

"Yeah?"

He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and my face flamed. "Don't die or go dragon on me."

"Uh," I stammered like an idiot as he turned and dashed off, "Uh..." he was long gone when I said, "sure." I shook my head, cheeks still hotter than Natsu's flames, and sprouted the ice wings I took pride in, pushing off the ground and into the sky, right underneath one of the war ships.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I burst through the bottom of the war ship with my hands ignited in black magic, completely tearing the ship in half. I say another ship go down on my left, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy cheerfully waving at me.

A shot hit one of my wings and I faltered before it magically regrew itself. I heard shouts of complete disbelief and I grinned, turning to the oncoming ship and howling, "Ice Dragon's Roar!" The ship went down, only after I launched a consecutive "Ice Dragon's Wing Attack!" at them. It sunk. I caught a howl and spun, and recognized Ajeel's voice. Growling, I shot up, frantically searching for him, but there was a huge barrage of bullets and I couldn't get through.

I narrowed my eyes as Pantherlily shot past me, carrying Gajeel. "Let's try this," I mumbled, focusing. My regular clothes replaced themselves with my blue kimono, and then the kimono faded to black. The icy wings I had dyed themselves pitch black, complimenting the red of my hair. Exhaling, concentrating, and controlling my form, I opened my eyes. "Ice-Chaos Dragon's Hurricane!"

The spell I could never perfect suddenly started to work. The wind around me picked up, wind so strong it almost threw a ship off course. Little ice pellets started to appear, and grew bigger and bigger, then the ice pellets were black.

I was in the center of my own personal hurricane.

Everything flew this way and that way, and as I raised my hands, the wind followed, and so I threw my hands forwards. The storm swallowed up half a dozen war ships, and in those five seconds, the ice had cleared, leaving battered, bruised, and torn apart ships, that all started to sink to the ground.

I pumped a fist, cheering, and then faltered. "Crap, that took a lot of energy," I murmured, losing elevation.

Suddenly there was a flash of bright light- a cannon shot. I dove out of the way as the shot struck the head ship of the fleet at its front and scattered, taking out numerous ships behind it. I growled in frustration again and dove down at the commander ship, Ajeel's ship, and landed in perfect unison with Wendy, Gajeel, and Natsu, my Dragon Force gone, leaving me in my regular clothes.

Ajeel smirked at us all. "Well, look at the mess you've made..."

So you can imagine his surprise when we all collapsed, eyes whitening, and hands clutching our stomachs.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," I groaned, almost heaving up my dinner.

Then some hand grabbed me around the neck- Ajeel. "Perfect time for revenge," he cackled, tightening his grip.

I wanted to punch him. I wanted to bring him to his knees, make him bleed, make him die! But I couldn't-

The ship was promptly cut in half, and suddenly I was falling, tumbling through the sky, staring up at the ship that had just been cut, Ajeel's name sitting on my tongue. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel were all caught by their exceeds- but my motion sickness was still in effect and I couldn't do anything. So I hit the ground with a crash, rolling across the ground, coughing my lungs out.

When I managed to stand, I saw Erza battling Ajeel like dots in the sky. Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy were taking on the army that was coming from the west. I gritted my teeth. "Dragon Slayers, or Gray?" I grumbled, tugging at my ponytail. I could help Natsu and company, but he could surely handle himself. They'd be fine, right? More armies were coming in from the other side of town, I could smell them. They must've gotten past Freed's traps.

Gray- I mean, city, or west army?

_Gray might be there with Juvia._

"Now," I breathed, "is the WORST POSSIBLE TIME TO THINK OF STUFF LIKE THAT!"

Several animals scattered at the sound of my voice.

I breathed sharply. I should probably go help the other Dragon Slayers...

But my heart won over my brain as I bolted for the city.


	79. PENALTY GAME SPECIAL :)

**Chapter 79!**

**Here's a special chapter, the Fairies Penalty Game. This occurred for the one Fairy Tail team that got the lowest amount of points. It was suggested by a very nice reviewer :) Thank you for the reviews, I read them all and they made me smile! :)**

**Let's see what would happen, shall we?**

**Chapter 79: Fairies Penalty Game**

**Normal POV**

"It's been the elephant in the room since the Grand Magic Tournament," Makarov said heavily, crosses his arms. "Team A, and Team B."

"Wait, was this a thing?" Nicole wondered aloud.

Erza nodded. "The team that collected the most points got to make the other team their slaves for the day."

Nicole paled. "Why could I have not known this before I butted in?!"

"That wouldn't have stopped you," Gray grumbled, and Nicole punched him in the arm. "Hey!" he whined, "I was right!"

"Yeah," she said thoughtfully.

"So why'd you punch me?"

"Why not?"

He was about to object when Erza stepped up. "I will challenge Laxus for the title of best Fairy Tail team."

"Erza versus Laxus?!" Lucy cried. Then everyone relaxed when they started to play rock-paper-scissors. "That works too."

"We got this," Natsu said with a grin.

So when Erza held out shaking scissors against Laxus's mighty rock, everyone started to panic.

"IT'S TEAM B'S VICTORY!" Makarov cheered. Laxus, Mirajane, Cana, Gajeel, and Juvia started grinned wickedly, already planning. Meanwhile, Natsu, Gray, Nicole, Lucy, and Erza's faces all dropped.

"This," Nicole decided, "is the worst day of my life."

"Natsu's mine," Laxus decided, as the Fire Dragon Slayer began to complain and argue.

"I'll take Erza!" Mira said cheerfully. Erza began to sweat.

Unfortunately to Nicole, Juvia immediately selected Gray-sama. Gray shot her a 'help me' look and Nicole snickered at him.

"You're mine," Gajeel said, pointing at Lucy.

Lucy wailed. "ANYONE CHANGE WITH ME! ANYOOOOOONE!"

"Wait," the Ice Dragon Slayer said uncertainly. "That means..."

"You've got me," Cana burped, patting Nicole on the shoulder.

"Well," she decided quietly, "it could be worse."

Cana grabbed her wrist and tugged her away. "Come on, girly! I've got some stuff for us to do!"

"Wait! NO!" But Cana didn't listen. Both brunettes went stumbling out of the guild hall, Nicole protesting the entire time, Cana with a lovely smirk on her face. Gray started to wonder which one of them would be worse off.

* * *

"Try this on."

"A wedding dress?" Nicole spluttered. "Are you marrying me off?!"

"Just do it."

Moments later, Nicole was in a long, strapless white dress that showed off her average bust. The veil clung to her hair and the dress was decorated with a bunch of pink and purple flowers. "Flowers? Dresses?" she argued. "How about no."

"Try this on!"

And so they continued.

Next was a Japanese style outfit, with a short black skirt that had slits on the side and Japanese characters, and what may have well been a bikini top, with matching purple and black colours. "This is actually kinda cool," Nicole murmured. "If it wasn't so skimpy."

"Next!"

Next was a long, sparkly dress with a long slit down the center. It may have looked good on Lucy or Erza, but not her. "This terrifies me," Nicole mumbled.

"Okay, try this one."

Then there was a maid's uniform that barely made it past her butt. The hat was cute but Nicole wanted to tear it in half.

"Maybe not. Try this one."

It continued like that for a while. Outfit after outfit was tried on, until Cana was extremely satisfied with one. It was a long sleeved black top (yay!) but had no straps and clung to the sides of Nicole's shoulders (not so yay). There was a long ruffle that wrapped all the way around the top, and the shirt didn't quite meet her waist line. Cana paired it with white jeans (Nicole had absolute confidence they would be ruined by the end of the day) and short black boots. Cana added a silver heart necklace, then stepped back and admired her.

"Beautiful," she said, flashing her a thumbs up.

Nicole grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, Cana."

"You pay for it, thought."

"Eh?!"

Once it was paid for, the two left. "Where are we going now?" Nicole ventured. "What was I dressing up for?"

"I'm gonna take you to this man," Cana replied.

"HUH?!"

"I need your opinion on something." Cana didn't say anymore after that, but the sinking feeling of dread was collecting in her stomach. So, she was very much surprised when they came to a stop outside an old house that looked kind of like a church. "After you," the alcoholic sang, pushing open the door.

Nicole was almost immediately flooded with kids.

Kid after kid pour out the doors and around them, followed by a short man with white hair, who stopped to talk to Cana. Cana waved hello to them all, then gestured for Nicole to talk to the kids.

The Ice Dragon Slayer's face was gradually getting redder and redder. "Hi?" she said awkwardly.

"Are you Nicole?!"

"From the Grand Magic Games?!"

"You were so cool!"

"Do you know Wendy?"

"I can't believe she wasn't in the games..."

That was one question Nicole could answer, mostly because it wasn't about herself. "Well," she stammered finally, the kids immediately quieting down. "Yes, I do know Wendy. We're good friends."

The kids started babbling again.

"What's it like to work with her?"

"Have you fought her?"

"Is she strong?"

"Wendy is extremely strong," Nicole said with a laugh, "and she's got a lot of power for someone so small. She can heal, too. She's a fantastic wizard, and a great part of Fairy Tail."

"And her exceed?"

"What about Carla?"

It went on like that for about five more minutes. Gradually, Nicole's face became more relaxed, and she talked with ease about her guild and Wendy, who seemed to be the hot topic of this place among the children. When Cana motioned that they had to go, Nicole said good bye to the reluctant kids, and they started walking again.

"I'm going to see if I can bring Wendy there," the brunette mumbled quietly. "That's the orphanage I stayed at until I joined Fairy Tail, and they all idolize Wendy. What do you think?" Cana's point was precise and to the point.

Nicole smiled warmly. "Wendy would love it!"

Cana smiled softly.

* * *

"Drink up!" Cana cheered, pouring another glass of alcohol for Nicole.

With a sigh, she downed the glass, burping. They were back in the Fairy Tail guild, and Cana's final requirement had been that they have quality time together, because she felt like they really hadn't had bonding time together yet. Which, of course, was true. So Cana's idea of 'quality bonding time' included drinking and spilling secrets. Nicole had downed a second glass already.

"So," Cana pressed, slurring her words, "what's going on between you and lover boy?"

"Who...?"

"You know, stripper?"

"Ooo, where?!"

Cana burst into laughter. "You're hilarious when you're drunk!"

"Mmm," Nicole murmured, flicking her hand and inspecting her nails.

"Anyways," Cana said, "what's going on between you and mister Fullbuster? Gray? You know, constantly stripping, ice dude?"

"Him," Nicole said, giggling, her voice almost an echo. "Oh, him." Her face fell. "Well, I really really like him. Like, a lot. Like, a like-like kind of thing. You know?"

Cana nodded along, sipping more alcohol. "Elaborate."

"I like him," Nicole repeated absentmindedly. She took another gulp of alcohol. "I really do. But I think he likes Juvia, so I don't think he likes me, so I guess I'm going to have to suffer." She let out a loud sigh and sunk down onto the bar.

The alcoholic sighed, and shook her head. "Girl, you are an idiot. He's so in love with you."

"Nah," the Ice Dragon Slayer dismissed, burying her head in her arms, "he's into Juvia. And she worships him, and she's actually got boobs." She stared down at her chest in disappointment.

Cana tried to decide if drunk Nicole was a good thing or a bad thing. "Well, it's not like you've got nothing. Girlie, you're just sprouting. You've got more than Levy, but not as much as Lucy, ya know?"

Nicole nodded along sleepily. "Yeah."

"But he does like you, I can tell."

"Nah."

"Yeah."

"Juvia's super sweet and nice and really really really really really really cares for him, and then I'm mean and aggressive and I beat people up."

"Maybe he likes that," Cana advised, refilling Nicole's glass. "Ya never know."

Nicole giggled. "Eh, maybe I'm not girly enough for him."

"Girliness is definitely one thing you do not have," Cana laughed. "But maybe he likes that."

"Cana?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I had a good time today. I really relaxed."

"That was the goal, kiddo. That was the goal."

* * *

Midnight struck the clock. "Here's your girlfriend," Cana cheered happily, tossing the passed out form of Nicole to Gray Fullbuster after he came into the guild with Juvia. "And here's something for you," she added, handing him an envelope.

Gray blushed. "She's not my..."

Cana waved him off. "She may as well be. Get her rest, she's gonna have a killer hangover tomorrow morning."

Gray's eyes widened. "You made her drink?!"

"She needed to relax," Cana slurred, shrugging her shoulders. "You've noticed it too, she's stressing too much. Sometimes, drinking can do miracles. We had some good conversation, too."

The Ice mage narrowed her eyes on the girl he was carrying. "Where'd she get the outfit? She wasn't wearing that this morning."

"We had a bit of a modelling show," the alcoholic smirked, patting Gray's hand that held the envelope. "That's what this is for. Have a good night, sweetie."

Gray left in pure confusion.

He ended up taking her back to his house, because Lucy's place was locked and he didn't want to search her for the key. After laying her down and getting a glass of water and headache pills from the cabinet for her, he ripped open the envelope.

They were a bunch of pictures of Nicole in front of a change room door, in about a dozen different outfits.

He smirked as he saw a picture of Nicole in a frenzied panic while she was trying on a hot pink dress, and then blushed beet red when he saw one of her in a long white wedding dress. Her expressions completely portrayed her thoughts about every outfit, until the last one, which was the outfit she was in now. She was actually smiling, sheepishly but smiling. Her face was priceless, in every single photo.

Gray stared at her sleeping form. "Thanks, Cana."

Back at the bar, Mirajane and Cana shared a fist bump.


	80. HALLOWEEN SPECIAL :)

**Chapter 80!**

**So why not have another special chapter? Because they're fun and fricking adorable. **

**Chapter 80: Halloween**

**Normal POV**

"IT'S HALLOWEEN!" Everyone cheered at the guild.

Apparently Halloween was a big thing (Nicole wouldn't know) and everyone was decorating the place, almost as much as they would on Christmas. Hand-carved pumpkins were everywhere, some grotesque and vile (done by Natsu and Happy, the nicer ones were done by Wendy and Carla) and others had typical faces. Some were even smiling. Black and orange streamers hung from every railing and twisted around every pole.

Orange and black table cloths covered the tables, along with little Halloween centerpieces, that Levy, Lucy, and Juvia had made (Nicole had tried, but had no success) and everyone was into the spirit.

Except one person.

"I hate Halloween," Nicole grumbled, slouching down on one of the tables.

"HOW?!" Natsu cried. "Halloween's great!"

"Why is it so great, Natsu?" Nicole asked sarcastically, causing Lucy to giggle.

Natsu frowned. "Well, uh, you... Get to scare people!"

"Brilliant," the Ice Dragon Slayer complained, slamming her head on the table. "I am so completely and totally convinced."

"Why do you hate Halloween?" Lucy asked curiously, leaning in next to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Nicole sighed loudly. "Why don't we start with what don't I hate? Because that will go a lot quicker." When nobody responded, she huffed and continued. "Halloween's always bad luck. Bad luck no matter what. And the colour orange is just a no," she added as she stuck out her tongue, "but black is always nice."

"Bad luck?" Erza questioned, stabbing a piece of her cake.

She shrugged. "Always has been, always will be. The Destroyers ruined my first ever guild on Halloween night while everyone was partying and nobody was paying attention."

"That's a legitimate reason," Gray murmured thoughtfully.

Nicole snorted. "Yeah, and water is wet."

Gray's eyebrow twitched in irritation as Lucy stood up from the table. "Alright! The party is here at 7, and it's 6 now, so let's go get our costumes on."

"Costumes?" Nicole questioned.

"DOES SOMEONE NOT HAVE A COSTUME?!" Mirajane zoomed over faster than the speed of light and she leaned in towards Nicole. "I can always get you one," she added sweetly, smiling happily. "I know the best places to get costumes!"

The Dragon Slayer's face visibly paled and she lied through her teeth, "no, Mira, don't worry about it. I have one!"

"Do you?" The white-haired barmaid raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Surprise!" Nicole forced out, grinning sheepishly. Natsu and Gray both started snickering at Nicole's expense.

Mirajane smiled brightly. "Great! Because I've got so many super party games planned and I would really be upset if you missed them. Don't worry," she added, "we'll make your first official Halloween your best one!"

"Wait, this is your first official Halloween?" Natsu asked dumbly as Mira walked away.

Nicole nodded. Then she turned to Lucy. "Help. I need a costume."

"You can borrow one of mine," the blonde offered, smiling, "we're around the same size!"

Nicole stared at her own chest, then at Lucy's, before looking away. "I'm flattered you think so, but not really."

Lucy smiled, blushing. "Well, I'm sure some shops will still be open. Let's go get you some sexy costumes!"

"Sexy?!" Nicole yelped as Lucy grabbed her wrist and towed her away, out the guild doors. "Sexy?! I thought we had to be scary!"

"Both!" Lucy called as she motioned to Levy and Juvia. The two sprang up from their spots, followed quickly by Erza, and the five set out to get some serious shopping done, sparkles in their eyes. Nicole protested the entire way out the door.

Gray was smirking as they all vanished out the door, but then Mira slid into the seat next to him. "So, what're you wearing tonight?"

"Surprise," he echoed.

Mira frowned. "You and Nicole are no fun." Then the frown turned into a dreamy smile. "Maybe that's why you're both so perfect for each other..."

"OI!" Gray cried in protest, but the shipper barmaid had already skipped away, humming a little tune and leaving everyone around her dreading what activities she may have chosen for that night.

* * *

Shopping was horrendous.

That was the idea that Nicole had going into this mission.

Her ideal had changed-

Shopping was the worst torture that one could go through, worse than death.

The fact that the party was in less than an hour drove Erza to threaten Nicole to change faster, and the fact they wanted her to try on some pretty scandalous stuff made it even worse. Something with lace took ten minutes to change in and out of because Nicole kept getting tangled in it. Juvia constantly said everything would look better on herself. (Nicole knew it was only to prevent Nicole from attempting to steal her Gray-sama)

Levy had left to fetch the other girls' costumes so that they'd have more time to pick out one for Nicole. The nurse's outfit was a no, no to the bunny rabbit, Nicole liked the witch one but the other girls thought it wasn't 'sexy' enough.

They finally settled on one that suited both Nicole's figure and her personality.

It was a devil costume.

They tried on a bunch of different devil ones until they found one they thought was sexy but still suited Nicole. ("It suits her personality," Levy murmured, and Lucy had added, "It shows off your curves!" to which Nicole replied dryly, "what curves?") A short, sleeveless tight fitting dress that was blood red, paired with fishnet legging and red heels (Nicole narrowed the ends down so she could actually walk!) and a red tail and headband with horns. They handed Nicole a pitch fork, which was a bad idea, and then added a long black cape, that kind of draped over her shoulders a bit.

She looked hot.

And when she blushed and tried to hide herself, she looked adorable.

"It's perfect," everyone chimed, even Juvia.

Nicole blushed furiously. "Great, can I change out of it?"

"Nope!" Erza said cheerily, thanking Levy for the white bag with her costume that the bluenette had handed her. "The party starts soon, so we should all be ready!"

"Yes," Juvia agreed. "What time is it?"

Levy's face paled.

"6:59."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Nicole had never seen the girls in a full out panic mode, and frankly, she didn't want to see it again.

Needless to say, they all made it to the guild three minutes late, which was record timing. Fashionably late? Nicole tried her best to hide herself from anyone who looked over, which became increasingly difficult.

Levy was Little Red Riding Hood, and coincidentally, Gajeel was a wolf. Natsu had dressed up as a mighty dragon, spitting fire at anyone who told him he looked ridiculous. Juvia was a pirate, and really suited the role- her costume was tight and showed off every single curve. Mirajane was spinning around in a bunny costume, Macao and Wakaba ogling her as she swung by. Erza had chosen a witch costume, which was a long black and red dress that had a slit in the side and clung to her body.

Lucy was spinning around happily in a police officer costume, swinging handcuffs on her finger, and Lisanna was a stunning Cinderella. Everyone looked great!

"...and then there's me," Nicole finished her thought, rolling her eyes.

"What're you talking about?" Lucy scolded, throwing her hands in the air. "You look freaking sexy, every guy's gonna want a piece of you!"

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," she sweat-dropped.

Lucy frowned, putting her hands on her hips, her hat tilting to one side, "Like, have you seen yourself? Gray's jaw is going to hit the floor."

She scowled. "I don't want Gray ogling me!"

"Yes you do," Lucy argued, skipping away. "He's staring at you right now! Enjoy yourself!"

"WHAT? Where?!" Nicole spun in a full circle, cheeks heating up, and then she saw Gray, leaning against a wall. He was dressed up, not like herself (thank god) but of a vampire, with a blood red cape and a black vampire-like suit. Nicole even caught a glimpse of fake teeth crammed into his mouth. Her hand instinctively flew to her own mouth and she tapped her canines. _Vampire might have been a good costume._

Shaking the thoughts away, Nicole's stomach churned. _He looked good. Screw that, he looked hot._

Then, he was right in front of her. "So they got you in a costume."

"Uh," she stammered, "yeah. Took them a lot of tries."

He smirked. "You never make anything easy for anyone, do you?"

She visibly relaxed. "You look like your mouth got stung by a wasp."

Gray frowned, spitting out the fake teeth into his hand. "Stupid teeth."

"See," Nicole said, grinning, pointing at my teeth. "We Dragon Slayers have built in canines. Maybe I can sharpen them into fangs." Her eyes turned into sparkles as the ideas formed in her mind.

Gray sweat-dropped. "That wasn't the idea..."

"Listen up!" Mirajane, in her sexy bunny costume, stood on top of one of the tables. "Time for the games! First, we have bobbing for apples!"

"Well, that's not too bad," Nicole murmured, staring at the three barrels.

Cana smirked. "You dunk, get an apple. There's a number on the bottom, from 1 to 5. That's how many shots you have to take afterwards."

Nicole's face paled and blanked. Gray looked at her and laughed. Natsu frowned at them. "What's so bad about that?"

"You know how I get when I'm drunk," Nicole snapped.

Natsu frowned. "Not really."

"Never mind," she said with a sigh.

Erza walked up, next to Laxus and Mira. They all dipped their faces into the bucket (Macao and Wakaba stared greedily at the girls' bottoms) and Erza came up first, apple proudly clenched in her mouth. She spat it out. "Four!" She cried, waving the apple around.

Cana banged a beer mug down on a nearby table. She had a couple dozen shot glasses laid out for everyone. "Step right up!"

Laxus came up next, with a five. Grunting, he took his shots and sat down tipsily. Mira lucked out with a one, and skipped away afterwards, completely unaffected. "Who's next?" Cana hollered loudly, already drunk.

"I'll go," Nicole said with a sigh, ready to get this over with.

Gray smirked. "Me too."

"Juvia will go as well," Juvia said, glaring at Nicole, who turned away, blushing.

"Three, two one!" The rest of the guild cheered as the three dunked their heads into the barrels.

The cold water (or maybe it was alcohol, who knows with Cana) struck Nicole hard as her face hit the water, apples bouncing away. Opening her eyes, her dragon sight narrowed in on one apple that had the number 1 on the bottom. Perfect.

She leaned in that general direction and grabbed the apple in her canines, spitting it into her hand as she leaned up. Water ran down the sides of her face and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. Gray's head shot up a second after her eyes adjusted. Juvia was already up.

Nicole grinned, turning her apple over. "I got a 1."

"I got a 4," Juvia said miserably.

"3," Gray shrugged. They all took their shots and watched the rest go by.

Levy and Lucy both ended up pulling out fives, while Natsu pulled out a three but took eight shots (he's stupid like that). Cana didn't complain. Everyone was laughing and cheering, and Nicole found herself smiling. Maybe this wasn't half bad.

The night went on, with more games and more booze, until Mirajane started running around, handing out cameras to people. "One for you, one for you..."

"What's this for?" Nicole asked, turning the camera over in her hand.

Mira winked. "You'll see!"

Erza went around with sheets of paper, some pink and some blue. The boys got the blue sheets and the girls got the pink. "Sexist," Nicole grumbled. She started reading the list.

_Fairy Tail Photo Hunt: Girl Edition_

_Take the following pictures!_

Nicole's eyes widened.

"Take the pictures of the people who you think best match the descriptions," Mira said cheerfully, handing out the last camera to Gajeel. "The girls' and the boys' vary a bit. No showing other people! You have to go in order and you only have one shot for each category. So if your photo looks absolutely horrible, you're stuck with it, and you have to move on to the next category. You'll be judged on the quality of the photo and the choice of person. Good luck!~"

Everyone started murmuring. Nicole glared at the list again.

_1\. Someone stupid._

She immediately turned a snapped a picture of Natsu, who was prancing around with the dragon head. Lucy saw her and giggled.

It continued like that.

Nicole actually found herself having a lot of fun. She saw people taking pictures of her, but didn't know what for, because she didn't have any idea what number they were on. There were 20 in total.

_3\. The smartest person you know._

Levy got a lot of pictures.

_5\. The best costume._

Snapping a picture of Lisanna, the white-haired girl blushed and winked, making Nicole grin.

_6\. The nicest person you know._

Nicole instantly snapped one of Lucy, without hesitation.

_7\. The scariest person you know._

She snapped a picture of Erza yelling at Droy when she heard Macao behind her. "Scariest person? Who to choose?"

"Erza, probably," Jet whispered. "Nicole's too soft."

Something snapped and Nicole whirled around, eyes white in anger. "What was that, Carrot Head?!"

Needless to say, Macao got his picture of her. So did about three of four others.

Shaking her head, Nicole continued. _10\. Your male best friend. 11. Your most sibling-like friend in the guild. _The Ice Dragon Slayer took a picture of Gajeel, then took another one of Natsu. Gajeel smirked at her, reading over her sheet, and she punched him, but not before he snapped a picture of her for 'female best friend'.

This was the most fun thing Nicole had done that night. _14\. The person you most admire. _She took a photo of Erza, who blushed when Nicole told her what one it was for. _15\. The creepiest person you know. _She took a picture of Macao and Wakaba as they were staring at Mirajane, blood leaking from their noses. _Perfect._

Shot after shot, then the last two.

_19\. Someone who you wish you knew better._

_20\. The best guy in the guild! (to you)_

She knew this was coming.

Nicole frowned, turning in a circle. Then she saw Juvia, who was snapping pictures of Gray, going back to her sheet, and taking more. Gray seemed a bit awkward, accepting the first two then avoiding the next ones. Nicole took her picture of the water mage.

Best guy, hmm?

* * *

Gray fumed.

_20\. The best girl in the guild! (to you)_

Of COURSE Mira thought of something like that.

For sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen (which were all the same thing- _Your favourite people in the guild- _He had taken pictures of Nicole, Natsu (surprisingly) and managed to get one of Erza and Lucy side by side. Nineteen, someone you want to know better, he really couldn't think of anyone in specific, so he took a picture of Gajeel.

Then came number 20.

He noticed Juvia taking picture after picture of him, for almost all the options, and didn't know whether that was a good thing or bad thing. When she straightened up, beaming, and said "Juvia is done!" He smiled at her, strained, and she turned away to give her camera to Mirajane for the judging. Gray, almost instinctively, turned in the direction of Nicole and snapped the picture.

At the same time she did.

They both took a picture of each other at the same time, and then Nicole lowered her camera, blushing and glaring. "Fullbuster, how many pictures of me have you taken?"

He smirked. "I lost count."

"Gray!" she flushed, "Really?"

"No," he admitted, "Only two."

She relaxed. "Okay. That's okay then."

"Was that your last one?"

"...yes. How about you?"

"Yep."

A moment of silence passed, with the two staring at each other. Nicole shook herself, and straightened. "All these pictures of me are going to be so bad!" She walked over to Mira and handed in her camera. Gray followed suit.

"I'm sure they look as good as you do," he mumbled under his breath, not meant for Nicole to hear.

But he forgot that she had Dragon-enhanced hearing, and the brunette whirled around, cheeks lit up as red as Erza's hair. "Fullbuster! What did you say?"

He coughed, flushing. "I'm sure they look as weird as you do."

"You did NOT say that!"

"Yes, I did! It's true!"

"Rude!"

"True!"

"FULLBUSTER!"

"OUCH! That hurt! Don't punch me!"

Gajeel watched them argue and shook his head. "Idiots."

When Nicole had finally calmed down, she sighed. "Well, I _did_ hear what you said. Thank you, you idiot." She hugged him briefly and Gray enjoyed the warmth he felt (or maybe it was the blood rushing to his face) and hugged her tightly.

They broke apart when they heard Juvia squeal, "Gray~samaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Juvia pranced over and latched onto his arm, hugging him tightly, but before she could say anything, Mira waved her hands, calling for everyone's attention. "We printed out some of the best photos! We have the winners!"

"So fast?" Lucy asked, walking up next to Nicole. Natsu stood at her side, grinning coyly.

Mira smiled. "The winner is Lucy!"

"Really?" The blonde gasped. She broke into a grin. "Yay!"

"Runner ups are Lisanna and Warren," Mira said cheerfully. "We picked some of the best photos! They're being passed around now!" Indeed, Erza was jumping from person to person, handing them a photo and then saying, "pass it on."

Nicole was handed one of Natsu, standing on a table, one leg in the air and his hands waving wildly. At the bottom, someone had wrote, _**someone stupid- Gajeel**_

She laughed.

"So the thing at the bottom is the name of the person who took it and the category, right?" Gray murmured, studying his photo. It was a shot of Lucy, who was smiling at the camera, and the caption read **_Your favourite person in the guild- Levy_**

They passed the photos around, Lisanna's, Lucy's, and Warren's being the most popular. Nicole saw a picture of herself as she was yelling at Jet and Macao: **_The scariest person you know- Macao_**

Erza was featured in quite a few pictures, including one Nicole had taken- _**the person you most admire- Nicole. **_A second picture she had taken included one of Gajeel, titled **_your male best friend- Nicole. _**Gray saw a photo he had taken of Natsu for **_someone stupid _**floating around.

And then Gray's picture came around.

It was one of Nicole, with her camera held at about her chest height. There was a full view of her face, which was kind of surprised. Her cheeks were red, and Gray thought that she couldn't have looked cuter if she had posed.

The caption read, **_the best girl in the guild- Gray._**

He must've gotten the picture seconds before Nicole had taken one of him.

He saw the picture, smiling, and passed it onto Nicole, who accepted it with narrowed eyebrows. When she read the caption, her eyebrows shot to the top of her head. Her cheeks flushed a red as dark as her dress. Gray smirked, waiting for her reaction.

"IDIOT!" He got a pitchfork in the side of the head.

"Oi!" Gray howled in protest, waving his hands. "It's a good picture!"

"Idiot," she repeated, fuming. "I put you as the best guy in the guild, too."

Gray felt like no air was getting to his lungs for a second as he watched her face redden and duck away. Then he could breath again, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "And did I really deserve being assaulted by a pitchfork?"

"Yep," she argued, clutching the picture tightly. "Out of all the girls here-"

"I picked you," he said absentmindedly. He took the picture from her gently, enjoying the flurry of emotions flying across Nicole's face. "You were my number 20."

"Well," Nicole argued, glaring at Gray, "you make horrible decisions."

"Maybe," he agreed, "But I'm pretty happy with this one."

A long pause. Gray felt like his insides were churning and then burning, but he felt so satisfied, seeing the smile flit across her face. That smile just made the entire night worthwhile and memorable. Not that it wasn't before, that is.

Then;

"IDIOT! STOP BEING SO SMOOTH!"

"Oi! That hurt!"

"Well, generally, when I punch you, it's supposed to hurt!"

"The sarcasm levels are fatal..."

"Did I ASK you, GAJEEL?!"

"Oi! Stop it!"

Mira watched the scene unfold from her table. Her smile widened, and she checked something off her _Ships to Sail _list. "Well, her first Halloween won't be one she forgets," the white-haired barmaid said with a sigh of content.

A Fairy Tail Halloween. Success.


	81. HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2 :)

**Chapter 81!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS MY LOVELY FOLLOWERS! EVERY REVIEW REALLY MAKES ME SMILE AND I APPRECIATE IT ALL!**

**So behold a second Christmas special. This is inspired by Rboz on tumblr- she/he makes incredible manga strips of the Fairy Tail characters. This is her/his idea- with a bit of a twist of my own.**

**This is Rboz's idea. Not my own.**

**Chapter 81: Christmas (Number 2)**

**Normal POV**

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The girls cheered, clinking their wine glasses together.

Erza, Levy, Lucy, and Nicole were all sitting in a circle in Lucy's living room, all decked out in holiday gear. Erza was wearing a long, green dress, and Lucy was in a cute pink dress. Levy had chosen to wear a short black dress, and to avoid nagging, Nicole had worn a black and white dress, that was white on the top and black on the bottom. They all tipped their glasses black, draining the contents.

"More!" Erza demanded.

"No."

"Eh?"

Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu made quick work to take every available bottle of alcohol and put it away. "We are not," Gajeel demanded, "having a repeat of last year."

"Leave the alcohol to someone who can handle it," Natsu grumbled, collecting everything that could fit in his arms.

"We are not living that nightmare again," Gray agreed.

Gajeel glared at all the girls. "You don't get to drink a single drop, ya hear?! Or I'll arrest you all!" Erza shrugged, face red, and Nicole rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Lucy just looked downright confused, but Levy just sighed and shook her head.

But...

Three hours later...

Natsu banged a beer mug down onto Lucy's table, almost smashing the table in half. "THIS ALCOHOL," he bellowed, "IS WORTHY OF THE FIRE DRAGON LORD NATSU DRAGNEEL!" He gulped down another mug.

Gajeel was sitting in a corner, taking his alcohol in sips, muttering under his breath, "Levy... Levy... Levy... Levy..."

"What is the point?" Gray was sulked down over the table, bottle of alcohol twitching in his hands. "Life is sad and completely meaningless... What is the point?" Tears leaked down his face.

All the girls' faces went blank. _They're drunk..._

"Wait, where'd Erza go?" Levy wondered aloud.

Nicole shrugged, but then Gray dove across the table and latched on to her waist, pinning her arms by her side. "NICOLEEEEEEEE! You're the only one that understands my pain!" The empty alcohol bottles fell to the ground, some smashing, others rolling harmlessly out of the way.

The Ice Dragon Slayer's face flushed bright red as she awkwardly tried to detach herself from the Ice Make mage. "That's nice," she muttered feebly, "now please... just..."

"Ooo," Levy taunted. "They say people reveal their true feelings when drunk-"

The bluenette was promptly picked up and plopped down onto Gajeel's lap. He bent his head into her hair. "Levy... I love your smell..." He turned her around. "You're so small, and cute, and beautiful..." Levy screamed in her head. _He's a flirty drunk?!_

"Well," Nicole said loudly as she tried to get out of Gray's iron grip as he sobbed into her dress, "they say people reveal their true feelings while drunk."

Levy went beet red as Gajeel cuddled her.

"Erza!" Lucy cried.

Erza was in a corner of the room, holding Jellal, who was wrapped up in enough ribbon to tie fifty Christmas presents. "No more running from us, Jellal," the red-head purred, pulling the ropes tighter.

"WHEN DID JELLAL GET HERE?!" Nicole and Lucy cried.

"OOOOOOOOOOOH! I'M THE FIRE LORD OF CHAOS!" Natsu cried, spitting fire everywhere.

Lucy latched onto his side, tugging him away from the wall. "Natsu! Stop or you'll destroy my apartment!"

But Natsu wouldn't have it. "Lemme go! You can't stop the fire dragon with your tricks!" He pried Lucy off with such ease that Nicole was jealous, then hoisted her above his head. "I WON'T FALL FOR YOUR SEXY WAYS, LUCY!" He spun her around and Lucy screamed in fear and anger, angrily demanding Natsu to put her down.

"What the hell," Nicole hissed, finally wrenching one arm out of Gray's reach. He buried his face in her side. "Nicole! Please be my strength!"

"This will be a long night," she said, prying her other arm free.

Meanwhile, Gajeel was stroking Levy's hair with immense interest. Levy was pressed up against Gajeel's side, enjoying his drunk personality. "You're so beautiful," he mumbled.

"Maybe," she murmured, "Drunk Gajeel isn't so bad..."

But just then, Gajeel stood up immediately, pulling Levy with him. "That's why we need to get married right away!" Before she could protest, he continued, "we need a church and a father right now! NOBODY WILL TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME!"

But before she reply, Erza whacked Gajeel upside the head, knocking him out and onto Levy. "No one," she threatened, "is going to get married before me and Jellal!"

"NO WAY!" Natsu roared in retaliation, fire erupting from his fists. "Me and Lucy are getting married first!"

_"DO YOU WANT TO DIE SLOWLY, OR QUICKLY, NATSU?!"_

"Erza, calm down!"

"BRING IT ON, YOU MONSTER! THE FIRE DRAGON LORD IS NOT AFRAID!"

"N- Natsu! Don't provoke Erza like that!"

"TAKE THIS!"

"YEAH FIGHT MEEE!"

"You guys are lame... there's no point in marriage anyways..."

"Eh? Gray, you're drunk."

"Marriage is stupid and pointless..."

"STOP DESTROYING MY HOME!"

"MARRIAGE IS AWESOME, POPSICLE STICK! FIGHT ME!"

"...Drunk Natsu is as horrible as regular Natsu."

"Fighting is pointless... Everything is pointless..."

"Gray, snap out of it!"

Eventually, everyone had passed out. Everyone except Lucy, Levy, and Nicole. Lucy was sobbing to herself about how much money she would have to pay to fix all the damages and burn marks that covered her walls. Levy really couldn't move, because Gajeel had an iron grip around her waist **(get it? Iron? Puns?) **and she ended up falling asleep in Gajeel's arms. Nicole had finally, finally gotten out of her crush's grip, and was tidying up some of the alcohol bottles that had broken on Lucy's floor.

"You're helping?" Lucy asked in relief.

"Well, I live here too," she laughed. "Don't forget."

Lucy smiled brightly, then immediately darkened. "I can't get anything done with these idiots."

With a great amount of difficulty, Nicole and Lucy pulled Erza and Jellal, who were somehow roped together, up onto Lucy's bed. Nicole carelessly dunked Natsu in the bath tub, and after a second thought, threw a blanket over him. Gajeel and Levy were set on the couch, where they slept quietly, curled up together.

"I can lug Gray home," Nicole said, aware that they had no more places for people. "I can clean a bit first though."

"Thank you," Lucy said, relieved. "Thank you so so much."

A good ten minutes later, she left, towing a half-conscious Gray. She waved good bye to Lucy and stepped outside, realizing only later how cold it was. She'd be fine. Pulling Gray's arm over her shoulder, she forged onward, boots ankle-deep in the snow. A good ten minute walk later, she was at Gray's place.

As soon as she removed his hand from around her shoulders, the arm immediately latched onto her waist. Frowning, she tried to pry it off, but there was no getting rid of Gray's fast grip on her. Sighing, she walked to his bed, Gray being dragged behind her, and lay down, with him right next to her.

"Idiot," she said with a sigh, pulling off his hands. She had pulled off one and was trying to take off the other when Gray's first hand grabbed again.

Grabbed much lower than it should have.

"KYAAAAAA!" she whirled around and punched him in the face, throwing his hand out of the way. "Idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot! I don't care if you're drunk! You don't touch my ass!"

Gray mumbled something against her side and held on again, around her waist this time.

"Stupid," she grumbled, trying without success to remove his grip. Eventually giving up, she collapsed on his bed, Gray pulling her close to his side. "You're the only one that understands," she heard him mumble.

Sighing, Nicole fluffed out his hair. "Idiot."

Within a minute, she was fast asleep, locked in Gray's arms.

So when Gray woke up with a killer headache, he wondered what he had done to get Nicole cuddled up next to him and a black eye. Strange...

And that is how the second annual Christmas with Nicole went. Just as successful as the first.


	82. Alvarez: Weakness Robots

**Chapter 82~**

**Thank you for the lovely reviews. They really do make my day. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and got what they wished for :)**

**(Ten new manga books? Heck yes did I wish for that)**

**Chapter 82: Alvarez: Weakness Robots**

**Nicole's POV**

Everything ached. Every part of my body was bruised, battered, and really sore. That fall took more out of me than I thought. My nose leading the way, I navigated through the deserted streets, the battle looming overhead. All around, all I could hear was yelling, loud bangs, and the sound of war. It was not a pleasant sound- it reminded me of way back when, when the Destroyers ruined every town I happened to come across.

Screams and yells filled the air. My sensitive ears caught it all. I could smell Gray. He was close.

But then, the large volume of sound that I was hearing suddenly stopped. I mean, it was still there, but the volume died immensely. I found out why a second later when over a hundred soldiers lay collapsed on the streets in front of me.

"Damn," I said loudly, "What I'd miss?"

The look on Gray's face when he saw me made my year. He grinned widely. "Nicole!"

"Love rival is okay," Juvia said with a soft smile, before her face hardened.

Elfman grinned at me, and Lisanna waved. "Let's take the rest of them out the old fashioned way!" cheered... Seilah?

"Seilah?" I cried.

"Mirajane," Lisanna corrected me.

I smiled. "I'm not going to ask."

We were about to charge into battle with the remaining soldiers when the wind picked up, and there was a gust of sand that swallowed the streets. Suddenly, my skin was being bombarded with tiny pellets, stinging my eyes, and obstructing my vision from everyone else. "Gray!" I called out, voice lost in the wind. "Lisanna! Elfman, Mirajane, Juvia?! Anyone!"

Someone grabbed my arm and I grabbed back, desperately trying to figure out who it was. The sand was dulling my sense of smell and it was really bothering me. No doubt this was Ajeel's work. I gritted my teeth, but then sand got in my mouth and I clamped my jaw shut.

And as soon as it came, the sand vanished, leaving dust in its wake. The arm I was holding was Gray's. He smirked and I rolled my eyes, letting go of his arm. "Idiot, we still have a war to win."

"I know, I know," he said coyly.

We just noticed the tall line of soldiers in front of us. All robotic, mechanical, menacing creatures. I gulped and readied myself to fight.

The robots rushed at us, and Juvia fell almost instantly when the robot's punch let off steam. She screeched and fell. Gray cursed and started to fire off an Ice-Make attack, but was blasted back by a wave of fire. _Robots, specifically designed for our weaknesses!_

I fired an Ice Dragon's Claw at one and it countered with a wave of flames. I frowned. Mine used fire too.

"Stop it, Elfman!" Mira cried. A robot that looked exactly like Elfman was slapping Mirajane. _That was her weakness?! _I sweat-dropped. Elfman's opponent was incredibly fast, and Lisanna's was extremely tough. The robots exploited all our weaknesses.

"Damn!" I cursed, summoning some Chaos Dragon power. "Chaos Dragon Roar!" The robot was not very prepared and went flying through the streets. Well, there was my back up plan. I looked around, and saw a man with long skinny legs and a stout upper body survey from the side. His dark hair stuck up in a single point. I narrowed my eyes and moved past the battle, charging at him.

He saw me, smirked, and summoned two more weakness robots before vanishing into the streets. Cursing, the robots that appeared out of nowhere stalked towards me. I yelled, "Ice Dragon's Wing Attack!" but the machine responded with fire. The other closed in a punched me straight in the jaw. I tumbled across the street, slamming into a building wall. _I'm gonna feel that in the morning._

If I even saw tomorrow, anyways.

How was I supposed to fight two of them? I tried another spell, Chaos Dragon's Roar, but one of the robots jumped in front of the other and released a ball of white energy. My magic and the robot's magic collided, cancelling out. My jacket slipped off my shoulders, and I remembered my Dragon Force.

My kimono was back. My eyes flashed, and I called, "Ice-Chaos Dragon's Hurricane!" The wind picked up, and the robots flew around, one spouting fire, and other releasing white light. But they were simultaneously bombarded with black ice pellets and thrown around in the wind. Neither robot could fend off the combination, and they both were destroyed.

"Yes," I said to myself, sighing in relief. My Dragon Force switched off, and I shook my arms out. Who knows where my jacket went?

I looked over, and everyone else had finished off the robots too. Gray was missing his shirt, go figure. The Ice mage walked over to me. "You took out two of them," Gray said, smirking. "I'd expect nothing less."

I rolled my eyes. "Kind of handy having two Dragon Slayer types, eh?"

His expression softened. "You're going to have to tell them soon. Like, very soon."

"I know," I sighed. There was no way I could delay the inevitable. Then, I realized why the upper half of my body felt so bare. MY tank top was gone too, leaving me in a black sports bra.

"I PICKED UP YOUR STRIPPING HABIT!" I howled, hammering Gray's side with my fists. "CURSE YOU AND YOUR STUPID HABIT!"

"Oi! I'm injured!" he protested, laughing.

I sputtered curses through my teeth. Lisanna, giggling, handed me my jacket and I quickly put in on, my cheeks bright red in embarrassment. I huffed as Mira smiled at me, her eyes flitting suggestively from me to Gray. Juvia puffed out her cheeks angrily and turned away.

Something didn't feel right. About my face.

I turned to Gray, who was standing next to me, laughing at my expense. "Gray?' I asked tentatively, quietly. "Is there something on my face?"

His eyebrows knit together, then rose up to the top of his forehead. His eyes widened. I heard him curse under his breath. "Come on, let's start walking."

"Huh?"

"Come on."

We left Juvia with the Strauss siblings as Gray plowed through the streets. "Gray?" I asked hurriedly. "Gray, what is it? It can't be that bad?"

There was a loud boom from the distance, from Kardia Cathedral. We both turned in that direction as smoke rose to the sky. I swallowed. "I hope they're okay."

"They will be," Gray said, his voice tight.

"Gray." I glared at him. "What is it?" I tapped my cheek, and pulled my hand away, something flaking in my hand.

Was that... my skin?

Gray turned towards an abandoned store of sorts, where we could see of reflections in the window. I looked from my piece of skin in my hand to my reflection in the glass.

"Scales," Gray croaked, his throat dry. "It's..."

He didn't need to say anything else. I leaned closer. There were scales, pure white scales, whiter than snow. Only a few were visible, but I tapped them, and more of my skin fell away. My cheek felt hard and smooth, exactly like a dragon's scales. The white, smooth scales were the scariest thing I've ever seen. My emotions were rising. I felt terrified. I was turning into a dragon.

"Oh..." My voice trailed off.

Gray's hands moved to my shoulders. He didn't say a word, but nothing needed to be said.

"Well," I said shakily. "At least I have more reason to tell the guild, right?"

Because scales covering my cheeks were SO easy to hide.

I turned and buried my face against Gray's chest, and he hugged me back. I felt safety and warmth in his arms, but nothing could stop the oncoming dread I was feeling. Dragon, here I come.


	83. NEW YEAR'S SPECIAL :)

**Time for Chapter 83!~**

**I decided to do another special, one I haven't tried yet. So, behold the New Year's Special! A bit late, of course, but still fun. **

**Shippers, get ready.**

**(With the exception of Gruvia fans)**

**Chapter 83: NEW YEAR'S SPECIAL :)**

**Normal POV**

The Halloween party was great.

The Christmas party was good.

But the New Year's Bash was going to be fucking epic.

The entire guild was decked out in silver and gold, streamers everywhere, confetti everywhere. Snacks covered the tables. Refreshment filled the right wall. There was a dance floor, all the tables had been moved to one side of the room, and the girls had even brought in the couches and cushions from Fairy Hills. The entire guild was attending- even Gildarts.

Nicole was, typically, not ready.

"It starts at 8!" Lucy cheered at their apartment, changing into a cute pink and gold mini dress. She turned to Nicole, who was reading a book on the couch. "Nicole!" she sighed. "Come on, why aren't you getting ready?"

"For what?"

"The New Year's party, silly!" Lucy started rummaging through her closet for shoes.

Nicole blinked. "We celebrate surviving another year?"

"Yeah, basically."

"Sounds legitimate. Okay, when is it?"

"IN TEN MINUTES YOU IDIOT!"

Nicole sighed. "That settles it. I don't have a dress, not prepared. Shame."

"I'm all ready to go," Lucy said evenly. "I have a dress for you. I can do your make up. I will even let you wear your hair up. And I won't call the other girls and tell them you forgot- especially Mirajane."

The Dragon Slayer popped up off the couch. "You have got yourself a deal."

* * *

The dress was SPARKLY.

Nicole had her doubts but it did look really good. It was silver, with one long sleeve that fell to her wrist. The other side didn't even have a strap or anything. The dress sparkled and shimmered, and ended mid-thigh, but it was pretty simple. With matching silver earring and necklace, Nicole felt kind of decked out and... and...

"I look like a disco ball," she complained.

"You look gorgeous," Lucy assured her, touching up her mascara. "Gray'll be head over heels!"

"WHAT?! I mean, what?! I don't want him to be," the brunette grumbled unconvincingly.

The blonde raised her eyebrows and giggled. "I betcha can't wait for the New Year's kiss!"

"KISS?!" Nicole squawked. "Kiss?! No way! No how!"

"I joined just after the New Year last year, so I've never done it," Lucy explained sheepishly. "But I've heard all about it. Apparently," she dropped her voice, "everyone has to draw straws to decide who has to kiss Erza. Not that she's bad, just that she's... scary."

Nicole giggled. "That sounds amusing."

"Ready to go?" Lucy asked. "You look hot."

"You look hotter," Nicole snapped back, smirking.

The two bantered on the way to the guild. They got catcalled by a drunk man but Nicole planted a foot in his face and he was knocked out. The two continued on, noting the amount of males that kind of backed off. The girls giggled and made their way to the guild. They arrived at 8:12 and were greeted by Levy and Erza. The blue-haired bookworm was in a short, cheery gold dress, and Erza was decked out in a long purple and gold dress.

By 9, the party was in full swing, and the booze was out. Nicole was carefully avoiding drinking too much so she didn't have a killer hangover tomorrow. Natsu and Gray had spent almost the entire first hour arguing.

By 10, Mirajane suggested that the guild should play Master.

Immediately, Erza earned multiple terrified glances. Everyone from the Christmas Party visibly shivered. But there was no backing out now. Everyone plunked themselves down on the couches and cushions.

Coincidentally, (or not) Gray sat next to Nicole (He looked really really really really good with a short-sleeved black collared t-shirt. Nicole was sure he had ditched a jacket somewhere). Nicole's heart involuntarily started beating faster. _Am I going to have to kiss someone at midnight like Lucy said?! I don't want to! I'm not good at kissing!_

The final group was bigger than the group at the Christmas Party. There was Nicole, Gray, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Levy, Gajeel, Juvia, Happy, Panther Lily, Carla, Wendy, Mirajane, Cana, Lisanna, Elfman, Evergreen, Bickslow, Freed, and Laxus. Master Makarov was passed out over a barrel, and others were in no condition to play.

That made twenty people in total. Mirajane put twenty Popsicle sticks in a cup, numbers 1-19 and a crown.

Bickslow ended up with Master first. "Alrighty! Numbers 11 and 4 need to give number 18 a foot massage."

"YES!" Nicole pumped a fist in the air. "Finally, something good." She kicked off the silver heels that Lucy had forced her to wear.

Elfman rubbed the back of his head. "This isn't very manly..."

"Oh, seriously?!" Gajeel complained, throwing his hands in the air. Levy started giggling.

"Put your backs into it," Nicole commanded, leaning back on the couch. Gajeel and Elfman started grumbling but set to their task. Mira collected the Popsicle sticks and went around again.

It was Levy's turn. "Numbers... hmm... 1 and 9 need to embrace each other for a minute!"

"Pick two more numbers," Erza urged. "There's a lot of us."

Levy considered this, and then said, "okay, number 17 and 3 need to do the same thing too!"

"I'm number 1," Natsu bragged, standing up. He was wearing a red long sleeved collared shirt and Igneel's scarf. "Who the hell's number 9?"

Gray blinked slowly. "There is no way in hell I am doing this."

Everyone burst into loud fits of laughter as Gray and Natsu awkwardly hugged. Erza ended up hugging Lisanna, who was number 3, so that wasn't that bad. The Popsicle stick were once again collected and redistributed. Gajeel and Elfman had finished their massage, and Nicole wiggled her toes before jamming them back in her heels. A few more rounds went by, laughter louder and louder every round. Until...

"I AM MASTER!" Erza screeched.

"THE DEMON IS REVIVED!" Everyone else shrieked.

Erza tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Keep it down, please, Erza," Mira said sweetly. "I heard of what happened at Christmas."

"Numbers 5 and 6 need to handcuff themselves together for the remainder of the game," Erza said excitedly. "Numbers 19 and 4 need to do the same thing. Numbers 8 and 12 must cuddle on the couch. And," she said, peeking at Gray's number and then at Nicole's, so fast they didn't even know she had looked, "Numbers 13 and 2 must be handcuffed together for the remainder of the night."

Nicole cursed.

Gajeel groaned.

Cana burped and passed out.

Juvia's eyes lit up and she eyed her Gray-sama.

"Alright," Gray announced, frustrated, "Who's number 13?"

Nicole's jaw hit the floor. Erza winked at her, and the brunette's cheeks flamed as red as the Demon Master's hair. "Um. That would be me."

"PERFECT!" Mira slapped a set of handcuffs on them before they could react. The handcuffs were on Nicole's right wrist, the side without the long silver sleeve, and Gray's left. Mira took the key and slid it in her pocket. "You guys are handcuffed for the rest of the night!"

Gray and Nicole's faces were furiously red. Juvia wailed in fury. "Juvia is number 5! Juvia was sure she could be chained to Gray-sama!"

Laxus and Freed were getting handcuffed (numbers 8 and 12) with the blond lightning mage grumbling the entire time. Evergreen and Elfman both sat on a couch awkwardly, supposedly 'cuddling.' Evergreen turned him to stone with her eyes.

"I shall take Juvia's hand," Lyon said dramatically, going on one knee. "I am number 6!" They were handcuffed.

"WHEN DID LYON GET HERE?!" Half the guild shrieked.

Chelia popped up from behind Wendy. "We heard that Fairy Tail was having a great party, so Lamia Scale's here too!" Wendy squealed and gave her best friend a hug.

"Is that Ichiya?" Mira murmured.

"Hibiki?!" Bickslow gaped.

Nicole blinked. "Is that... Sting!"

"Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus!" Lucy gasped. "This party just keeps getting bigger and bigger!"

"Rogue!" Gajeel grunted, smirking.

"Rufus," Gray growled.

Nicole hopped up from the couch and dragged Gray with her to Sting. She awkwardly hugged him. "Hey! What're you guys doing here?"

"Word gets around," the blond said with a shrug. He eyed the handcuffs. "What's that?"

"Some stupid dare from a game," Nicole said, flustered. Gray rolled his eyes. "You should come play, it's fun if you're not picked!"

Sting shrugged. "Sure, why not. Rogue! Let's go play some Fairy Tail game!"

The circle had expanded so large that the Master got the privilege of choosing multiple people- almost ten every time. The game continued long into the night. Mermaid Heel even showed up, and before everyone knew it, the time was 11:30, and everyone was still playing. Food was being passed around. Gajeel and Levy were handcuffed together as well, from some dare of Mirajane the master, and then Natsu and Lucy had to have an intense cuddle session.

"It's almost midnight!" Lisanna cheered.

"Boys, huddle up!" Macao called. All the guys huddled in a circle. He held up the can of Popsicle sticks. "Whoever picks the crown is Erza's New Year's kiss."

"Oi, what about Icicle over there?" Natsu asked, jabbing a finger at Gray, who was chatting with Yukino, Nicole, and Rufus. "And Metal-for-Brains." Gajeel and Levy were talking and cuddling together on a different couch.

Jet shrugged. "Those lucky bastards already have kisses for the New Year's."

"WHAT?!" Natsu roared. "How the hell is that possible?!"

"Believe me," Wakaba grumbled, "we've been asking ourselves the same thing for a while."

"If they get to pick, I do too. LUCY!" Natsu picked up the blonde high above his head during her conversation with Erza. "YOU'RE MINE!"

Lucy's protesting was drowned out by the volume of the party. The group of Fairy Tail guys sighed and all started drawing sticks.

Jet's face drooped so low that Droy started laughing at him.

The time was winding down.

"Oi. Gray." Sting grabbed Gray's free arm and the Ice Mage faced him. He jerked his chin and Nicole, and Gray turned. She was chatting to Orga and Rogue, oblivious to Sting and Gray.

"Listen," the White Dragon Slayer growled, his grip tightening on Gray's arm. "You do anything to her, hurt her or anything, and no one will be able to find your body. Understand?"

Gray's throat went dry but he started protesting. "What?"

"I've seen the way you guys have been looking at each other all night," Sting said with a sigh. "Don't make me kill you."

The raven-haired boy smirked. "Trust me. She'd be the one to kill me first." Sting shrugged and nodded. "But I get it. Trust me on this, I never plan to. I never will."

Sting released him. "Good. You got lucky with her, eh?"

"I know," Gray said, laughing. Sting smiled, the boyish smile reappearing, and ran off to get more food.

"10!" Erza screamed. The count down had started.

"9!"

Gajeel and Levy both smiled sweetly at each other and cuddled together closer.

"8!"

Natsu finally set Lucy down.

"7!"

"Wait," Nicole said frantically. "Is this what Lucy was talking about? The kiss or whatever?"

"6!"

Mirajane winked at Nicole and confirmed her unanswered question. Nicole flushed.

"5!"

"Nicole," Gray started, grabbing the wrist that the handcuff was attached to. "Are you, uh..."

"4!"

A tearful Jet tapped Erza on the shoulder.

"3!"

The entire guild was counting now.

"2!"

"Am I what?" Nicole asked in bewilderment. "I, uh, don't know? I mean..."

"1!"

Gray stared at her for a second. The words died in her throat. "Uh..."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!"

Gray's free hand went around Nicole's waist and her free hand went to his side and he pressed his lips to hers. The cheering and hollering from every single person crammed in the guild hall suddenly seemed non-existent. The gears in Gray's brain just stopped moving for a second. Nicole's brain completely short-circuited. Their handcuffed hands kind of... grabbed on to each other, finger lacing together. Nicole was on Cloud 9.

They broke apart, faces flushed. "I was going to say," Gray said, smirking, "are you okay if I do that."

"Oh," Nicole replied, her throat almost dry. "A bit late, but... Yeah. Yeah I am."

So he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again, for another brief second, and then pulled away. That second was pure bliss.

(Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Natsu had just smacked his lips on Lucy's. The blonde girl had nearly fainted, but not the pink-haired boy. He picked her up, saying he was going to take her home because her face was really red. Mirajane squealed)

(Jet had very carefully pressed a quick kiss on Erza's lips, trembling. Erza was flabbergasted for a moment before she started half-yelling, half-screaming at Jet for not being kissed properly, and knowing monsters that could kiss better. It didn't help that Jet retorted that this was because Erza herself was a monster)

"Uh," Nicole breathed, sticking with her breathtaking vocabulary. "Well, uh, now we can get these handcuffs off."

Gray smiled. "Yeah. We can. If you want."

"I don't really want to," she admitted quickly, face flushed red. "I mean. But you probably want to! So we can Mirajane see- I mean, see Mirajane! And she has the key!"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're adorable when you're flustered?"

"...only you."

"Ah. Good."

"And has anyone told you how good you look right now?"

"No."

"Good, because nobody's got any reason to."

"Oi!"

"Fullbuster, don't you dare try to tickle me or I will punch your teeth out!"

Mira watched the scene with sparkles in her eyes. If that wasn't the definition of an adorable couple, she didn't know what was. "Aw," she said with a sigh. She took the key for the handcuffs out of her pocket and tossed it down to them. Gray grabbed it with a free hand and stuck it in his pants pocket.

"You want the key," he taunted. "Come and get it."

They ended up arguing the entire way back to Gray's house, not taking the key out of Gray's pocket. Needless to say, Nicole didn't put up much of a fight for the key. When they reached Gray's house, Nicole completely collapsed on Gray's bed, exhausted and tired from the events of the night. This meant she pulled Gray down with her. They both fell asleep almost immediately, hands tangled together.

_I really, really like him, _Nicole thought to herself giddily as she dozed off.

_I really, really like this girl, _Gray thought to himself, watching her eyelids drift shut.

And they both slept for a while. No nightmares, no nothing. Just each other.

* * *

**I hope this satisfied the reviewer who PMed me and suggested this (and suggested the New Year's kiss thing too)! :)**

**All the best of 2017!**


	84. Alvarez: Confessions

**Chapter 84: Alvarez: Confessions**

**Nicole's POV**

We were all back in the guild, resting and treating our wounds. Natsu was nowhere to be found, but I wasn't worried. He could handle himself, no matter what idiotic caper he decided to perform. Gray and I had grabbed some white bandages and taped them over my cheek for the time being, hiding my scales. "You promise that you'll tell everyone?" he challenged.

I had promised. "Yeah. I will."

But so far, everyone was discussing battle plans and there was no room to say anything, not that I minded. Laxus was talking with the First about the other guilds in Fiore. Gray rested a hand on my shoulder. "Ready?"

My throat went dry. No way in hell was I ready. "Ready is my middle name," I joked dryly, coughing.

He smirked at me, and I glared at him, and Juvia glared at us.

"...Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus are moving to intercept them in the north!"

"Sabertooth?" I gasped, moving towards Warren.

He glanced at me. "Yeah, they're going to take on the army in Bosco."

I turned to Master Makarov. "Master, please let me go, I need to help them."

"I understand your concern," the master of Fairy Tail said as my hopes fell away, "but you should get your wounds looked at by Wendy."

"Wounds?" I repeated. "I'm not hurt."

"Your face?"

My hand flew to my face and I felt the bandage on my cheek. "Oh. Oh, that was nothing. I'm perfectly fine now. Just a small cut."

"Cuts become infected," he warned.

I was about to protest again when Wendy popped up out of nowhere. "Not to worry, Nicole-san! I can heal it in a second! Nothing wrong at all!"

"Ah... Um... No," I stuttered, "I don't..."

Makarov cocked an eyebrow. "You don't want to healed?"

I cursed inwardly.

Half the guild had their eyes on me now. Was I making a scene?

"It's not a cut," I mumbled. I straightened up, and caught Gray's eyes. He nodded at me, and I shivered. "It's not a cut," I said louder. "And... And I have something I need to confess."

Now I had the whole guild's eyes on me. _I hate this already._

"Continue," Mavis prompted.

"I... Remember Tartaros?" I said finally, recalling the guild we had fought over a year ago.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "What do they have to do with it?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Marol wasn't there. At the end, when all the dragons showed themselves."

"I remember that," Wendy murmured to herself. "Did your dragon come to you and not show herself to us?"

"My dragon parent was there," I said, glaring at my feet. "But not Marol. Marol is nonexistent, and nothing but something from my imagination and corrupted memories. Like how Sting and Rogue's dragon parents altered their memories to make them believe that they killed their own parents." Sting and Rogue had told me that story a few times. "She's made up, imaginary."

"So who?" Erza supplied.

I bit my lip. "Ac... Acnologia."

There was a crash as someone fell out of their seat in shock and suddenly the entire guild burst into hushed, judging whispers. My face flamed and I angrily sat down. _This was a bad idea. This was a horrible idea. I hate this. I hate this, I hate this, I-_

_"SILENCE!" _

Master Makarov's voice was loud, crisp and clear, and immediately ceased all talking in the guild hall. I realized what horrible timing this was. _In the middle of a war, I'm telling people I'm dangerous and could kill everyone in sight. Lovely._

"Please," Makarov said, sitting back down on the table. "I'm sure Nicole isn't done quite yet."

I frowned at the ground. "R- Right. Well." I paused. "You know why the dragons disappeared, right? To produce those antibodies for the dragon slayers so that they wouldn't turn into dragons while using their magic?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a yes. Remember how Acnologia showed up on Tenrou?"

More silence.

"So, I don't have those antibodies."

Silence again. It was really aggravating me.

"Fine," I snapped, standing up and facing the whole guild. "Fine! I don't have the antibodies, so the more I use my magic, the faster I'll turn into a dragon! Who knows if I'll have control, maybe I'll just... I'll just go and kill everyone, friend or foe! Maybe I'll end up brutally murdering my best friends and have no clue that I have!

"I," I continued, voice loud, clear, and captivating, "am not an Ice Dragon Slayer. I am a Chaos Dragon Slayer, who has somehow managed to pick up Ice Dragon Slayer abilities. I am dangerous, I am unpredictable, and I don't blame you if you don't want to be anywhere near me."

I grabbed the edge of the tape on my face and tugged it off with one swipe. The icy white scales had already started covering a bigger area, from most of cheek to some of my ear. "I'm slowly turning into a dragon," I finished, my face screwed up in an angry scowl. "And when I do, I have no clue if I will have control or not. And most of you have had experience with dragons and understand what they're like. So I'm warning you now."

And for the fourth time, I was greeted with complete silence.

"I'm going to help Sabertooth," I said finally, my voice cracking. "I'm still going to fight. If I go berserk, there's two dragon slayers there that can stop me."

The tears starting to collect in my eyes, I turned and bolted for the guild doors, ignoring the shocked and confused looks that were watching me. I ran and didn't look back, not once.

_Warren said they're in the north. Bosco. Well, that's where I'll go._

I only stopped running when I was at the north end of town, puffing and crying. My face and my scales were streaked with tears, but I knew I didn't have time to waste. "Ice Dragon's Wings," I mumbled, and the two beautifully crafted wings protruded from my back. Wiping my eyes on my jacket sleeve, I allowed myself a second to breath. To calm down. But it wasn't working; I was frustrated and I was angry and I was never going back to that guild-

"You can't leave without me."

I almost groaned in frustration and relief.

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't. I won't let you."

"Well," I snapped, whirling around and facing him, "I'm sorry, Fullbuster, but you probably don't want to be near me right now."

Gray sighed and took another step towards me, closing the distance. "Look. You're not very good at explaining things. You told the guild in a worst case scenario kind of thing." I opened my mouth to protest but he wasn't done. "You were extremely blunt and made yourself sound like an enemy instead of someone who could be useful and help."

"It was the truth," I scowled, turning away.

I heard another footstep. "No, it wasn't. You know it."

"I'm not going back to the guild," I said, shaking.

Another step. "I don't expect you to, yet. At least let me go with you."

"No."

"Yep."

"Don't you want to go see Lyon?"

"I'm sure he can handle himself."

"What about the rest of that guild? And you hate Rufus."

"I don't hate him. Just a minor dislike."

"But..." my voice cracked again. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not going to," Gray replied, and he ducked under one of my wings and stood in front of me. "I know you can control it. It's not like you're going to go berserk. And I promise you, I won't let you kill me or anyone else from this guild or your old one."

I avoided his eyes and stared at the ground, blinking away tears of fury.

"Besides," he added, "I'd rather fight you and know that you're safe instead of letting you go away on your own and worrying sick that you're dead or-"

"I get it," I grumbled. "You're concerned."

"So you know there's no point arguing because I'm coming with you."

"...Yeah."

Gray flashed me one of his adorable smiles and pulled me in for a hug, careful not to hit my wings. I buried my head in his shoulder, thankful that he was such a stubborn idiot, because it made my life a lot better. "Thanks," I mumbled quietly, my face flushing red from frustration in myself.

"Don't worry about it," he murmured back. (If I had looked up, I would've seen him winking at Levy, who nodded and ran back in the direction of the guild, confirming I was good to go and under control)

"I am worrying," I snapped back. "I will always worry."

Gray chuckled, ruffling my hair. "Okay. We good to go? I want a head start on Elfman and Gajeel."

"Of course." I took to the skies, doing a somersault. "The real question is, can you keep up with me?"

"Hey! Of course I can!"

"Give it your best shot!"

Gray had this effect on me. He instantly made me relax, made me forget the world for a while. It was a beautiful thing.


	85. Alvarez: Death Toll

**Chapter 85: Alvarez: Death Toll**

**Nicole's POV**

We stopped at night to set up camp. Gajeel, Levy, Panther Lily, Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane didn't question me about my confession any further, and I was incredibly grateful. We were well over halfway there by nightfall, but it was Gray who insisted we should rest up. The three white-haired siblings were out like lights, cuddled together in a large sleeping bag. Gajeel perched himself up on a cliff overlooking the valley. I would've yelled at him to sleep, but I couldn't either.

I didn't pack a sleeping back, so I had taken off my signature green jacket and draped in over my legs. Even though I was wearing black jeans, my legs were still chilly, and my long-sleeved black crop top was still keeping my upper body warm enough. I summoned a sheet of perfectly clear ice in my hand and regarded my face.

The scales had started crawling up to my forehead. They weren't quite there yet. It was like a short L around my eye.

I crunched my fist together and the ice shattered in my hand. I was done looking at my face.

Gray, the blessing he is, sat himself down next to me by the tree, blanket under his arm. "You cold?"

"Never," I joked meekly, snatching the blanket from his hands. It was black and extremely fuzzy- and pretty big too. "God, this is so nice." I tossed it out, put my jacket back on, an draped the blanket over Gray's legs and mine. It was certainly big enough to cover.

"Really fuzzy," he added, and I smiled up at him. He smiled back, then his smile wavered. He was looking at my scales.

I frowned. "Don't worry about them. If anything, I've got extra face protection."

"I'd like to see someone try to stab you there," he agreed, smirking. "Can I?..."

"Go ahead," I said with a shrug. His hand reached up and stroked that side of my face. I couldn't feel the warmth of his hands. His mouth slipped open slightly. I rolled my eyes, trying to be casual about it. "Don't worry about it."

Gray sighed, letting his hand fall back to the fuzzy black blanket. "I know. But..."

"Don't you dare," I said, scowling, raising a finger up in front of his face, "contradict me, because I will be fine, and I've spent forever trying to convince myself as that, and so have you, and a bit of worrying now would send all that self motivation down the drain."

He was grinning at me. "You're kind of feisty."

"Kind of? I'm _very _feisty."

"Whatever you say."

"So you understand the whole 'always agree with the girl' thing."

"This is a one time thing!"

"You know I'm always right, so-"

"No you're not, idiot."

"I am so."

"Not."

"Yes!"

"Not!"

"SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!" roared Gajeel from a good distance away. By some miracle, the sleeping Strauss siblings didn't wake up. I giggled and waved at Gajeel, who seemed to be growling and talking to Levy.

Gray sighed. "You going to be able to sleep?"

I blushed red. "O- Only if you're here," I admitted, ducking my head.

"Someone finally admits," he chuckled, relishing in my moment of embarrassment, "that I'm needed."

"Don't let it go to your head, dork." I kissed him lightly on the cheek, and got the satisfaction of his cheeks flushing. "Good night."

"Good night," he murmured back, and I fell asleep quickly, my head propped up against his shoulder and his head leaning on mine. For once, my head was free of dreams. What miracles fuzzy blankets can bring.

* * *

"Gihihihi," Gajeel snickered loudly, looking at the sleeping couple under the tree.

Levy smiled up at him, almost smirking.

* * *

We woke up at the crack of dawn. Well, more specifically, I woke up to Mira's cooking. She made up a quick, warm breakfast that made my mouth water. I stretched out, accidentally hitting Gray in the face and waking him up. "Oi," he grumbled, rubbing the side of his head. I giggled and helped him stand up.

Mira squealed. "Love birds!"

I flushed red. "N- No! Not like that!"

"Wow, I see how it is," Gray grumbled, stretching, feigning hurt.

My blood boiled. "No- No- Just, oh, shut up!" Flustered, I stomped away to Mirajane, accepting a plate with some delicious eggs and wolfing them down. They tasted delicious. It was starting to snow, the light flakes drifting down and decorating my hair. Soon enough, everyone was packed, fed, and ready to head out again.

"You two freaks our something?" Gajeel grumbled at Gray and I.

I frowned. "What're you talking about?"

"How are you not freezing to death?" he barked. "Snow everywhere, everyone else is dressed in heavy coats and boots, and you guys are in light jackets."

"No," Levy corrected, "Gray's not wearing anything."

"Gah! Where's my shirt?"

I sighed and handed him his shirt that I had picked up after he dropped. "It's not that cold."

Lisanna giggled. "Ice mages must love this environment."

I dropped my head, faking a smile. I _wasn't _an Ice mage. Not technically. Well, kind of, but...

We finally caught sight of a huge wave of black, like a black carpet, that was the large army moving towards us. I frowned. There were a lot, even more than the fight against Avatar.

"They're marching right at us," Levy murmured, her expression hard and determined. "What do we do?"

"Do I really have to say it?" Gajeel retorted. "We start kicking ass!"

I frowned. "What happened to Blue Pegasus and Sabertooth? There was no way they were wiped out."

To my horror, nobody answered me. _There's no way. There's no way. No way that they were taken out. Sting and Rogue are incredibly strong, same with Orga, and Rufus, and Minerva, and Yukino-_

The army was carrying large, wooden crosses. Bodies were tied to them. The stench of blood hit my nostrils, and I gasped, my hands flying to my face. Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus had lost, they had lost horribly. They were tied to crosses and being carried like trophies. Rage, complete rage, started flying through me. The men were laughing, staring at Jenny from Blue Pegasus' ass and cheering. They were all triumphant.

"Despicable," Levy whispered. Gajeel clenched his fists.

"How?" I whispered. The momentary confusion I felt was then gone, and the coursing rage continued to fly through me. My blood was boiling. I wanted to kill them all, every single member of Alvarez, Zeref, all of his stupid Spriggan 12, and... And...

Gajeel was just as shocked as I was. "Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus were completely annihilated?!"

There was a pause, and all I could hear was the falling snow, the marching footsteps, and the jeering laughter.

Then, suddenly, all I could hear was the jeering laughter, and all I could see was red.

"Nicole," Gray cautioned, a hand on my shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid."

"You should know better," I said quietly, a black magic circle forming at my feet, "than to try and stop me."

The hand released.

My clothes transformed into a kimono. My kimono went blood red, my hair went blood red, my eyes went soulless black. I pushed off the ground with such force that I left a crater behind me, and I launched myself at the army, soaring through the air.

_Destroy. Kill. Ruin._

I heard jeering laughs and insults from the army, anywhere from "she thinks she can take us head on?" to "it's just a girl!" and soon my vision was all red and black, my enemies highlighted in red. I shut my eyes briefly.

_Murder. Kill._

I was going to try a spell I had tried once and not gotten to work. If it worked, I could save everyone and take out most of the army.

_Death._

I had reached the front line of the army, but I was hovering above them by a dozen feet. Some of them stupidly tried to whip spears at me, but nothing came anywhere close. I heaved a breath.

"Chaos Dragon's Secret Art. Death Toll."

I thrust my palms out in front of me. Then the ground started quaking. The scattered yelling and panicking could not distract me. I wouldn't let them. I held my palms out and traced them in a circle around me. The ground beneath the enemy's feet was cracking, and from those cracks sprouted black mist, dark and terrifying.

I pushed my palms together again and squeezed.

Opening my pitch black eyes, I regarded my work below. When I squeezed my fists, the black mist had instantly latched hold of the army's ankles, and despite their clawing and fighting, they were dragged down into the cracks in the Earth by my magic. I clenched my fists tighter. About a thousand men vanished under the Earth, and I opened my palm, and the ground sealed. All the wooden crosses clattered to the ground with their victims still tied on. The sealed ground left no indication of opening up.

The first wave was dead. Gone. Eradicated.

I hadn't killed them all. Barely a large part of the army. But I had killed the first wave, the first thousand, and the second thousand were angrily running up to meet me.

My magic wavered and I slipped to the ground, landing on my feet, feeling weak. Instantly, I felt and smelled Gray, Gajeel, and Levy behind me. The Fairy Tail members were already running at the crosses, eagerly untying the captives.

"Easy," Gray murmured, helping me stand. I switched off my Dragon Force.

"Sorry," I said, "I didn't get a lot-"

"Princess," Gajeel growled, smirking, "you killed over a thousand. I think you did plenty."

"That was pretty terrifying," Gray agreed.

To my surprise, the snow completely vanished. Like a gust of wind, the cold breezes were gone, and flowers and grass were at my feet instead of blankets of white fluff. I gasped, then I looked over and spotted my former guild master. Sting, whom Gajeel had pulled off his cross, was sitting on the ground and shivering, covered in cuts and bruises. I ran over and knelt down. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I'm pathetic," he said hoarsely. "I-"

"Shut up," I snapped, "no you're not."

"You just took them all out," he whispered. "A thousand, at least."

"And it took a lot out of me," I agreed, tapping Sting on the shoulder.

He sighed, staring at the ground angrily. "They've got three monsters over there."

"What a coincidence," Gajeel said, smirking, "Because we've got eight."

Gray cracked his knuckles. I stumbled slightly, and Panther Lily frowned at me. "Rest a bit. We can handle it."

"Okay," I agreed.

"Let's hurry," Gray said, grinning, "An agreeing Nicole won't last very long." He threw a chunk of ice at me and I scarfed it down, thanking him and glaring at him at the same time. They rushed into battle, ready to charge and meet the next wave of the army. Even Levy managed to look kind of menacing.

I smiled weakly and leaned back into the grass to catch my breath.

God, I loved my guild.

* * *

**Thank you so so much for the lovely reviews! :)**


	86. Alvarez: Winter's Fight

**Quick note- I HAVE been reading all of your reviews and I love them all. Thank you all for your kind words.**

**Chapter 86: Alvarez: Winter's Fight**

**Nicole's POV**

It was when I tapped my face again that I felt the scales had spread. Spread over all of my cheek and over my eye, crawling up to my forehead. When I rapped my knuckles against them, they were harder than iron. I winced, and started sitting up. _I feel fine. I feel fine. I'm fine!_

Standing up, I rushed into battle, ignoring the drain on my magic power and the aching in my bones. I summoned my magic ice staff that Gray had given me and whacked a soldier who was trying to sneak up on Levy in the head. He went down. Levy called out her thanks and sunk another soldier into the ground with a "Solid Script: Iron!" I smirked, then I saw a soldier charging at me with a sword raised, reading the strike it down on my face.

I frowned. _Let's see if this works._

I tilted my head to the side and the sword came crashing down on my face. The side that was covered in scales. But instead of feeling pain, all I felt was a bit of tingling. The sword shattered into pieces, discarded on the ground.

The soldier screamed and took off.

I couldn't help it, I started laughing. Sabertooth were charging into battle now, led by Sting. Blue Pegasus joined, and soon, we were pushing them back. Suddenly, soldiers started screaming. "It's the Reaper!" is what it sounded like. I frowned. A man in hulking black armor and hood was stomping towards us.

Gajeel leaped forward, and dozens of metal pillars stabbed into the enemy and pinned him to the tree. Rage was flowing in the Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes, and I retreated to the other side of the battlefield. This was Gajeel's battle. I ran to the front, knocking out the army as I went. We may have been few in numbers, but we were kicking ass- the army didn't stand a chance. I navigated the battlefield with moderate difficulty, trying to make sure everyone was okay.

"Gray!" I called, spotting the dark-haired mage. He was blasting away wave after wave of enemies in his Ice Devil Slayer form. He turned to me and grinned. "I knew you wouldn't rest for long," he joked, turning another wave of enemies into ice blocks. Then his face contorted into a frown. "Your scales-"

I joined in, turning some enemies behind him into ice. "Never," I replied, smirking. I twirled my ice baton above my head, completely ignoring his concern for my face. "I-"

Then, there was a blinding light. Brighter than the sun.

Gray covered his eyes. "The sky is shining?"

I shut my eyes, wincing. The light was hot.

Then, the light was gone, and I was standing on a stretch of rocks, no civilization in sight. I was somewhere completely different. "What the hell happened?" I cried, pivoting. Nobody was around. I was alone. Alone with the rocks. "Hello?!" I cried. "Anyone?"

Nobody answered. I didn't smell anyone. I growled. _Was I even in Fiore anymore?_

Scrambling to the top of a tall rock, I peered around, looking for any sign that someone was near. To my relief, I saw a town that I didn't recognize. "Civilization," I cried in relief. I hopped off the rocks and tumbled down the hill, conserving my magic but wanting to get back all the same. The hill was ending, and I skidded to a stop beside a large, beautiful church, right in front of Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Gray.

"Nicole!" Lucy cried, running at me for a hug. I hugged her back, so relieved to see her alive. Natsu waved to me over her shoulder, and I waved back. He frowned suddenly, and I knew he was frowning at the scales on my face. I shook my head quickly, and surprisingly, he didn't say another word about it.

Gray grinned. "I'm glad you were close."

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I wish you were farther away."

Happy giggled at Gray's horrified face. "Ouch!"

"Let's get back to the guild," Natsu decided as Gray frowned at me. I grinned coyly, and we all started our march back to the guild, wandering around the deserted streets of the town and eventually making our way to the forest on the other side. Natsu and I both had no clue what direction Magnolia was, but Natsu's nose was better than mine, and I trusted his instincts.

"What the hell is THAT?!" Gray cried suddenly, pointing up. I nearly screamed- a large, dark eye had appeared in the sky.

Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone, before I could even suggest cover.

"What was..." Lucy trailed off. None of us had a clue.

_"The guild is this way."_

"Who was that?" Happy squeaked. "It didn't sound like Warren. It sounded like a girl."

I shrugged. I didn't recognize the voice. The words were being directly transmitted to my head, and based on my friends' reactions, they were getting the words too.

_"Make for the guild! Everyone, you must gather at once! You've been separated due to the enemy's magic, but now is the time to act as one!"_

"So the guild's that way," Natsu said, staring off in the direction we were headed. I smiled appreciatively at Natsu- he had good instincts.

Gray frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's be real, though. Is the voice trustworthy?"

_"Mavis is in a lot of trouble!"_

"Does that answer your question?" Lucy asked with a grin. We all shared a smile and took off down the hill as the voice continued.

_"She is a mother-like figure to all of you! Head towards the guild, and make haste! Return to Mavis' side, and protect her!"_

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" Natsu cheered as we sprinted down the hill, determined expressions on everyone's faces. But despite all that, I was filling up with dread. My dragon personality was going to rear its ugly head soon. The scales had already spread even more; I could feel them on my forehead.

_Just because the voice knew Mavis doesn't mean it's an ally. _Then, the message in our heads was back- but the voice was male, and we all recognized it, and I was completely convinced.

_"You don't do this too much, do you? You're far too high-handed. Next time, you might want to try injecting a bit of charm and delicacy along with your message. I'm starting to wonder if you're actually friends with the First."_

"That's Gajeel," I said, laughing in relief. Iron Head was okay. Natsu pumped an excited fist in the air, and we all kept moving. I can't remember being more nervous to see my guild mates- was everyone alive and well? I really, genuinely hoped so.

We kept moving. We stopped to sleep once when night hit, and I found myself curled up next to Gray on the grass. When we woke again at dawn, we kept moving. The scales kept coming- they went down one side of my neck now. Gray had assured me that they didn't look bad at all, but we all knew what was coming. I couldn't delay the inevitable.

Gray, Natsu, Lucy, Happy and I all made it to the top of a grassy hill. Below us was a sea of black- what looked like a million warriors separated up from our guild, our town. I clenched my fists. "There's so many," I mumbled, so quietly that I really hoped nobody heard.

"Are these all our enemies?!" Lucy gasped, her eyes widening.

Natsu frowned. "I can see our home over there..."

"We just gotta do this," Gray said, his face solemn.

We all nodded. "I suppose we really can't get a plan together, can we?" I said with a sigh.

"I know everyone'll come with me," Natsu said loudly, and with such determination that it instantly filled me with hope. "And nothing could be more reassuring!"

"We'll push them back," I agreed. "Everyone step counts."

"The First will be at the guild," Lucy said, her beautiful brown eyes hardening. "And Zeref will be with her."

Gray smacked a fist into his other open palm, grinning broadly. "Which one of us will take down Zeref first?" he asked to the Fire Dragon Slayer. "You in, Natsu?" I rolled my eyes. I would've scolded them, but watching them bicker made me smile.

"Hell yeah, I'm fired up!" Natsu cheered. Then his stomach made a low, long growl.

Lucy and I started laughing. "As always, your timing is impeccable," Gray said, shaking his head. Lucy and I shared a knowing look. I was extremely hungry too, of course; but they didn't need to know that.

"Apparently my timing is impeccable as well."

All five of us turned, and lo and behold, Erza Scarlet was walking towards us, requipped in her typical armor but covered in wounds. I almost cried out in relief. Lucy and I both lunged at her, wrapping our arms around her in pure joy. "ERZA!" we cried out, trying to be careful but at the same time, we didn't care.

Erza hugged Gray and Natsu next. "I wouldn't dare let you fight without me."

"LET'S DO THIS!" Natsu hollered at the top of his lungs.

We all let out a battle cry and charged- five of us (and Happy) against the entire Alvarez army. And I couldn't even explain the feeling of joy I felt, even if there was a part of me that told me I was running to my doom.

* * *

Natsu led the way, and then we all branched out- not going too far from each other, but far enough so we wouldn't be caught up in each other's magic. I was on one end, with Gray by my side. Natsu was right- just knowing that he and the rest of them were there was incredibly reassuring. I called, "Ice Dragon's Roar!" and the icy wind swept away dozens of soldiers.

No sooner had that happened when I smelled someone new. "Sorry for our late arrival," Wendy called, blasting the enemies with a Sky Dragon's Roar. Carla was holding her up, and the Sky Dragon Slayer took off in the air. I grinned wildly.

Then, as if Wendy was a beacon, everyone else began appearing too. Elfman charged through in a new Beast Soul Takeover, followed by Yukino and Angel. Then, the rest of the guild- Makarov, Cana, and everyone else. Everyone was okay. I wanted to weep in relief.

Long, tall dragons burst up from the ground. Not real dragons, but fake ones, made out of magic. A man with long hair started flipping forwards and landed in front of us all. "You won't take one step further. God Serena! A God has descended!"

I frowned. Was this God Serena, the number one mage in all of Fiore?

"Purgatory Dragon's Blazing Hell!" he cried. _Dragon Slayer magic?! _But, to everyone's relief, Natsu leaped forwards, gobbling up all of the flames. "Sea King Dragon's Water Formation Envelopment!" Suddenly, water was mixed with fire, and swept over the battlefield. I screeched, burning and freezing at the same time.

"Scarf it all down, Natsu!" Gray called.

"Be reasonable!" Natsu called back.

"Storm Dragon's Song of the Wind and Moon!" God Serena cried, and we were enveloped by a blinding white light. I was sure that it was all over.

Then, a shattering noise, and the magic vanished. Broken. An equally tall man with shaggy red hair and furry robes stood in front of us. I had met this man briefly, after Tenrou Island, but I hadn't seen him since. His name wavered on my tongue.

"Yo," he said, and instantly, the atmosphere around Fairy Tail changed.

"GILDARTS!" Natsu cried out in joy.

"I'm hungry as hell," the man said with a grin, "so step aside, boy... I'm going back to the guild."

Everyone started cheering. Gildarts gave Cana, who, if I remembered correctly, was his daughter. Cana pushed him off and pointed out the enemy in front of them. Gildarts huffed. As he butted heads with God Serena, a huge sand storm whipped up the ground in front of us. "Not this douche again," I heard Gray groan, but that was nothing. I was beyond angry. I wanted to tear off Ajeel's head. I squinted my eyes, and saw Elfman charge through the sand. I was about to go meet him when Gray's hand pulled back on my shoulder. "I know you want revenge," he called above the roar of the battle, "but he can handle it!"

I glared. I knew he was right.

"Let's go, people!" Gildarts roared. "The guild's only a hop, skip, and a jump away!"

"FORWARRRRRRRD!" we all cried, and that was the moment I knew, that if I did lose control and turn into a dragon, that I would never be able to kill my guild mates. They filled me with such hope that I never really could have summoned on my own.

But then everything went wrong.

Natsu tried out a Fire Dragon's Roar, but his fire froze. As Gray and I raised our hands and said it wasn't us, I felt the temperature dropping hazardously. Lucy was shivering beyond belief. Natsu screamed and the area around us was engulfed in flames, but the flames froze over. "An ice mage," I whispered to myself, the cold prickling at my skin.

Lucy and Natsu and Happy were frozen. Bodies encased in a thin layer of ice.

"Lucy! Happy! Natsu!" Gray cried out. I felt relief that he was unharmed, but then I noticed the mage in front of us. He had hair as long as mine, in a side ponytail, and long robes and glasses. I glared at him, sinking into a fighting stance, and Gray readied himself next to me.

Gray lunged, and I cried out, "no!" but it was too late. The mage flicked his wrist, and Gray was flung to the side, then bombarded with ice pellets. I growled and lunged at the winter mage, calling, "Ice Dragon's Frozen Fist!" but he flicked his wrist again. It felt like a cold weight was being pressed between my shoulder blades, and I was pushed into the ground, tumbling.

"You may address me as Yura Invel," he said quietly. "I am he who brings winter's wrath to all."

I glared. This guy was bad news. "Funny coincidence," I snarled, releasing my Dragon Force- Chaos version. "I'm the one who brings destruction to all."

The man's eyes widened. "Acnologia's power?" he gasped, before I charged at him. He dodged my punch, but not my kick, and I sent him sprawling backwards. He pushed his hands out and the pressure was back, and it shoved me backwards with so much force I heard a crack as I hit the stone. But those seconds had given Gray time to recover and Invel was bombarded with ice lances.

That's when I realized I was shivering. I was incredibly cold.

Gray jumped over to me and helped me up. I saw his teeth chattering. "I'm freezing," I admitted, and he nodded.

"Me too," he replied.

Invel was standing and facing up, glaring.

The winter's fight was about to begin.


	87. Alvarez: Gray and Nicole

**Thank you so so much for the reviews :) Hope you're ready for a lot of angst! ;)**

**Chapter 87: Alvarez: Gray and Nicole**

**Nicole's POV**

It was a stand off. Invel was facing Gray and I, his eyes betraying no suspicions or reactions. Gray was standing next to me, gritting his teeth. I risked a glance down at my arm- the kimono sleeve had been torn off. I almost screamed. White scales were curling around my bicep. Half my face and my arm, what's next? I narrowed my eyes. I had to finish this battle before I turned into a dragon.

He waved his hand, so fast I almost missed it. Gray called out, "Shield!" and Invel's blast collided with Gray's ice shield. The collision sent off steam, and I rushed forward, under the steam as cover. Gray called out, "Ice Make: Ice Impact!" and a huge ice hammer fell over Invel's head.

The mage raised a hand and stopped the hammer, and the ice started cracking. "I see. Molding magic. No wonder you were able to withstand my cold."

"Withstand this," I snapped, popping up in front of him and taking satisfaction at the look of surprise. "Ice Dragon's Roar!"

He sidestepped. This man was fast. The hammer fell and was swept away in the winds of my Ice Dragon's Roar, and hit the side of a building, crashing and shattering. "Ice Dragon Magic," he mused, almost smirking. "Or Chaos Dragon magic? Which one is it?"

"Try both!" I pushed my hands together and forced my hands to push out from my body. "Ice-Chaos Dragon's Blizzard!" A barrage of ice spikes mixed with blasts of dark chaos energy hurled themselves at Invel, but he waved a hand, and an ice sheet tore up from the ground. Normally, my magic would've shattered it, but the ice spikes that hit the shield seemed to freeze over and fall.

"What the hell?" I snapped, jumping back and meeting again with Gray.

"I am the purest of ice mages," Invel said, and the shield melted away in front of him. "I do not simply make toys out of ice. I use the very essence of ice itself to freeze all. Your derivative flailings could not hold a candle to me."

"Then how about this stuff?" Gray held out his right arm, and something in my stomach squirmed as black lines coated his arm. It was his Devil Slayer's power, I could tell, but it stirred up a lot of unhappy memories. Gray didn't notice my expression, however, and dashed at Invel in the blink of an eye. "Ice Devil's Zeroth Long Sword!"

To his credit, Invel finally looked slightly injured. As he turned to face Gray, I leaped at him from behind. "Ice Dragon's Frozen Fist!"

I missed.

He ducked to the left just in time, and I flew past him, tucking into a roll. But my distraction worked, and Gray struck Invel on the head with his blade again. To my surprise, the man smiled, and caught Gray's sword in his hand.

There was a brilliant explosion of cold. Snow, ice, wind, everything flew around. I gritted my teeth and held my ground, cursing. It was a blizzard, some weather that most people have probably never experienced.

It was cold. Cold enough to freeze.

"You have what it takes to stand alongside me as a comrade," I heard our enemy say, and I looked up in surprise. We were standing in a triangle shape, but Invel was talking to Gray. Then, he turned to me. "You as well." Invel turned back to Gray. "I fear you are unaware of it, but your heart is slowly being tainted by darkness."

"Eh?" Gray muttered.

Invel turned back to me. I was shivering. "However, you are quite aware of your fate. Yet you still choose to fight?"

"Shut up," I scowled.

"Interesting indeed." He turned back to Gray again. "The both of you. How long will you retain your sanity? Your darkness is on the brink of releasing itself into the world."

"You're making my ears bleed," Gray growled, clenching his fists. "But if it's my family on the line, I'll be as dark or black as I need in order to protect them!" I smiled softly. _My feelings exactly._

"Atta boy, Gray!"

"Natsu?" I said in disbelief.

The flames of the Dragon Slayer had heated up the area around him. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were all unhurt, but still cold (at least, Lucy was) and Natsu was grinning wildly. "Thank God," I whispered. I don't know what I would've done if Natsu or Lucy or Happy had died.

"The tables have been turned, Mister!" Lucy cried, pointing at Invel.

"The tables didn't need turning," I protested bleakly. "We were doing fine."

Lucy didn't hear me over the wind, but Gray did, and he chuckled. "If we all gang up on y-" Lucy continued, but then she was scooped up by a giant hand. I stared up and up and saw Brandish, the lady with the teal hair from Caracall Island. I gawked as she picked up Lucy in one hand and Natsu and Happy in the other. "I shall be taking these three," she announced.

"Hold it right there!" Gray cried as the woman turned around, ignoring them.

Suddenly, there was a clamp around my neck, and a sudden coldness of metal. I tried to look down, and my hands flew up to my neck. It was a metal ring, a lock, placed around my neck. I tugged at it furiously. Then, I realized that the lock connected to a chain.

That chain connected to Gray. We were tied together.

"Gray?" I said in confusion. My Dragon Force kimono vanished, and my unzipped green jacket, black tank top, and navy blue jeans were back.

Gray glanced back at me. "Nicole..."

"My head," I started. My vision was swimming, and I couldn't make sense of the objects in front of me. I tried to raise my hands to my head, but my hands weren't listening. My body wasn't responding to me. "What-"

"Ice lock," Invel supplied. "A magic that seals a person's heart and makes them my willing puppets. You two will now fight to the death, and you have zero say in the matter."

I blinked up to Gray. I couldn't kill him. There was no way.

"What'd you just say?!" Gray howled, but then he shut up. Invel was walking away. I frowned. He wanted us to fight, most likely so he'd only have to fight one of us. Or maybe... Gray's Devil Slayer magic. What if he wanted to stain Gray's soul faster?

"The chain cannot be removed until one of you lies lifeless."

My blood froze, and it wasn't from the temperature. He wanted Gray to kill me.

Invel was gone, most likely watching from the safety of the blizzard. I growled. _I won't hurt Gray. I won't hurt Gray. I'll never let Gray kill me. _The idea struck, and I gulped. I was going to have to kill myself.

My resolve hardened. It was the only way to save Gray.

My consciousness was fading. I had to do it soon-

Why was I raising my fist? Why was I going to punch Gray?

Why was Gray's hand rising up to meet mine?

Our attacks collided, and the ice rebounded, hitting me. I cursed, trying to stop myself, but something else was controlling my brain. I almost sobbed as Gray lunged in to punch me, and I kicked him back. _This isn't me. This isn't me. This isn't me. This-_

Gray grabbed my leg and threw me to the ground. "No," I whispered, my voice barely audible as my back cracked against the ground.

My vision was cloudy, but I saw and felt every single blow Gray hit me with. I cried out. Gray's eyes were darkening, running with insanity, as I was sure mine were as well. Unwillingly, I rolled away and stood up.

I would not let Gray kill me, because he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

I would not kill Gray, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

Therefore.

I summoned every last shred of sanity I still had in me. My reason, my emotions, everything. I raised my hand above my head, and it was cover in ice, like a spike attached to my hand. "Gray," I gasped, as he stared at me with hatred and insanity in his eyes, "Thank you."

I braced myself, and plunged my hand through my own rib cage.

* * *

Invel was shouting. "She took her life of her own accord?!"

Nicole was frozen, eyes widened.

And Gray was staring at her, the hatred gone from his eyes, a long sword stuck in his side.

"Both of them?!" Invel roared. "Simultaneously?!"

"No," she croaked, staring at the sword.

"Why," Gray gasped, shaking. "How... Could you..."

Nicole was shaking, knees weak, ready to collapse at any moment. "You idiot," she whispered, trying to stay standing.

Gray was shaking his head. "I could never hurt a comrade... No... I could never hurt you. I can't do it, Nicole." He paused, sucking in oxygen. "That's why... I... But..."

"Me too," she stuttered. "Gray, I..."

They were both falling, the pain suddenly too much to bear. Nicole hit the ground, trying to throw herself towards Gray, but having little luck. They both collapsed on the ground, the snow dyed red with their blood. Invel was cursing, wandering away, and he waved his hand. The chain broke. "I shall just have to handle END myself," he said as the chain melted away. He knew they were both dead.

Nicole couldn't feel anything anymore. But she felt like sobbing. Gray had the same idea as her. Dammit, she loved this man, and he was about to die. She wouldn't have it.

_Blood._

Nicole summoned the last of her strength, and reached her hand out and let it fall on Gray's injury. He didn't even flinch. _Please say I'm not too late. Please-_

The blood starting trickling from the snow and back to the wound. _Yes! _This was what she had done after facing Ajeel back in Alvarez. She was only praying it worked with other people. The blood was moving faster now, seeping back into the cut. She saw his chest rise and fall. _He's still alive. He's still alive! _

She pushed down lightly, and the wound closed up.

That was when the pain caught up to her and Nicole's hand went limp, her eyes fluttering shut.

* * *

Gray blinked.

_I'm alive?! How?_

He sat up.

_I have strength too._

And then he let his gaze fall on the bloody, broken body of Nicole Emereon.

"Blood," he heard, and Gray realized she was still alive. She was talking. "I... It worked..."

"No," he whispered, tapping the wound on his side. Closed up. She had fixed it. "No, no, no! This can't... This can't be happening!" The tears pricked his eyes, and then fell. Gray was crying, and felt no shame in it. He dragged himself over to her and pulled her into his arms. "Nicole. Do it to yourself! Fix your own wound!"

Her head slowly rocked back and forth, and Gray came to the cold realization. She didn't have any strength left. She had chosen to save him, but couldn't save herself.

"Nicole," he cried, the tears free falling and mingling with the blood on her body. "Nicole!"

_Training with her._

_Crying with her at my father's grave._

_Going to Mount Hakobe together._

_Grabbing that knife in front of my face on Tenrou._

_Cuddling together during parties._

_Valentine's Day._

_Everything._

"Nicole," he sobbed, his heart wrenching, "come on, you said we'd have time together! You said... You said you didn't want to miss out on anything!"

_Joking with her._

_Making her angry on purpose._

_Teasing her._

"I promise," Gray whispered, "I promise I'll stop teasing you. I promise we'll always be together. I promise anything, just please open your eyes!..."

She didn't stir.

"I'm begging you," he pleaded, tucking his forehead down to touch hers. "Nicole..."

She didn't move.

"Nicole!"

_Hugs._

_Kisses._

_Fighting together._

_Fighting with each other._

_Always forgiving each other._

"NICOLE!"

Gray was sobbing, his heart twisting in his chest, tears tracking down his cheeks. He screamed, out of anguish, out of remorse.

She was gone.

The girl he fell in love with was gone.


	88. Alvarez: Life

**THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS YOU GUYS MAKE ME SO HAPPY~~~**

**Chapter 88: Alvarez: Life**

**Nicole's POV**

I wasn't dead.

I could tell.

I knew it.

So why couldn't I move?

I couldn't see either. My vision was clouded over, my mind was hazy. I couldn't think straight.

I couldn't think at all.

Was Gray alive?

He better be.

If he wasn't, I'd rise from the grave and kill him.

Wait...

That doesn't make sense...

And then my mind shut down.

**. . .**

Something felt better.

Like I was in a patch of warm sunlight.

Warmth.

Sunlight over my midsection...

Someone was talking.

I can't tell who.

**. . .**

"Don't get up just yet. Lie still."

I groaned. I could hear myself doing it.

I sat up anyways, then I was pushed back down. The warmth I still felt was there. Still there. I had energy, and I didn't feel nearly as in pain as I was before. I cracked open my blood crusted eyes.

Wendy was leaning over me, concentrating.

She was healing me.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"If she had found you even a moment's later," a new voice huffed, "you really would've been in danger." It was Carla. The white, talking exceed.

"Well," the blue-haired girl said modestly, "to be more precise, it was thanks to Carla's precognition abilities that we were able to locate you."

My mind whirled.

"I'm alive," I said finally.

Wendy nodded- I could see her clearly now. "Yes, you are. But you would've been dead before I got here." She bit her lip. "I think it has something to do with the... your dragon slayer abilities, Nicole-san."

The blood thing.

I almost laughed. I'd never been thankful for those abilities before now. They had kept me alive. Long enough so that Wendy could reach me.

"I owe you one," I admitted, sitting up. "I was going to die."

"No problem at all," Wendy said, smiling brightly. "Healing is my forte! I'm going to protect everyone!"

I smiled at her. A real smile.

Then, I remembered where I was.

"Where the hell is Gray?!" I barked immediately, standing up. I felt dizzy and really weak, but Wendy supported me.

"Nicole, you really should be resting-"

"Where's Gray?" I demanded, trying to find him anywhere in view. There was nobody else in sight. "Where is he?"

Carla shook her head. "He wasn't here when we arrived-"

"I have to find him," I insisted, the black-haired boy's face filling my mind completely. "I don't care if I can't fight. I have to find him. He thinks I'm dead."

"He thinks you're dead?!" Wendy cried.

* * *

"My parents," Gray said slowly, threateningly, "Ur... All because of Zeref's demons. And now... And now Nicole." He choked down his emotions.

"Get the hell out of my way," Natsu- no, END snarled, flames coating his body. His eyes were dark, evil, demonic. He was stomping forwards, emitting more magic power than Gray could've ever imagined- no, not magic power. Demon power. Curses.

"I'm going to kill you!" Gray cried out, the black Devil Slayer magic running down his arm. "And stop you dead in your tracks!"

_Nicole..._

He wiped the thought of her away and lunged.

* * *

I have to find him. "I have to find him," I said aloud, glaring down at Wendy with determination in my eyes. "I could break my legs in a dozen different places, and that still wouldn't stop me from trying to find him."

"At least let me help you," Wendy supplied softly, supporting my upper body with hers. I blinked at her gratefully. I pointed out the direction that Invel had gone (at least, I think) and we stumbled along. Gray would most likely go after Invel. My body ached, and the stab wound just under my bust still throbbed.

Funny. I had a knife wound right under it. Two stabs, both taken for Gray.

The things I do for that... that idiot.

We were trudging along slowly when the clearing filled with a golden light. I looked around in confusion, but didn't see anyone. "What was that?" I asked the healer, but she didn't know any more than I did.

"Ah," Wendy said, shifting her hand to my chest, "Your wound is still bleeding."

I could feel it. I allowed her to rest a hand on my torn skin (my jacket had long since been discarded, and I was in my ripped black tank top that barely covered my chest) but I insisted that we keep moving. I fell once, then twice, but kept getting up. I could rest later, after I found Gray, after I could confirm that he was still alive.

And then I saw him.

He was being hugged by a sobbing redhead- Erza- with Natsu on the other side. He looked surprised, dumbfounded, but unharmed. I almost sobbed in relief. "Gray!" I cried out, holding down a cough. I kept moving forwards with renewed effort, Wendy following me along.

"Take it easy," Carla murmured.

"Gray," I called again.

He turned and we made eye contact.

"I'm alive," I confirmed, stumbling forwards, closing off the distance. "You should know by now I- I'm too stubborn to die."

"Saying you're fine is a bit of a stretch," Carla grumbled, gazing at my injury.

But I only had eyes for Gray.

"Nicole," he said quietly with disbelief.

He sunk to his knees.

I surged forwards, breaking out of Wendy's grip, and fell to the ground next to him, catching his head before it could hit the ground. He was passed out. But his expression was peaceful, not troubled.

I am not ashamed to say I burst into tears, holding him as close to me as I possibly could, thanking all the gods I knew that I was alive and he was alive and we were both alive and we were together. We were together, and we were going to be okay.

I passed out.

* * *

**Short chapter, I know, but I'm trying to split this up because there's not much of the manga left to go off of :/ Thank you!~**


	89. Alvarez: Cursed

**Honestly, you all are the best. Thank you guys so so much! :) :)**

**Chapter 89: Alvarez: Cursed**

**Normal POV**

The bright light shone once again. Erza defeated Eileen, her own mother, with the help of Wendy. Eileen, the strongest woman in Alvarez, took her own life. The sword plunged into her stomach caused her death, caused the bright light to shine, and brought Magnolia back to normal.

Everything was back where it should be.

But two people weren't.

Evergreen, Porlyusica, and Carla searched. They searched every square inch near them, but Nicole and Gray were nowhere to be found.

"It's suicide to move around in their conditions," Porlyusica snapped angrily as they discovered a torn green jacket and ripped bandages on the floor in a nearby room. Evidently, they had been there. Blood droplets were scattered on the floor. "That girl has always been way too stubborn for her own good."

"Where are they, then?" Evergreen asked worriedly.

"Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are down on the street," Carla noted, peering out the window. "Maybe they know."

But they didn't.

Nobody did.

* * *

**Nicole's POV**

I woke up.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed, but it wasn't much. There was still plenty of daylight outside, and I could hear the battle waging on the streets with my enhanced ears. Fighting, crashing.

Where the hell was Gray? There was a roll of used bandages laying on the floor next to me. We had passed out together, so it made sense that they would try to take care of us together. Where'd he go?

I stripped off my green jacket. A chunk was torn out of the bottom, half of one sleeve was ripped off, and the shoulder had a huge chunk taken out of it. Pretty much useless, and unwearable. I hugged the jacket to my chest. It was a good jacket. My black tank top looked more like a sports bra, but much looser. The bottom half had been ripped off and stripped away to deal with my stab wound. One strap was fraying and close to falling apart.

My jeans were torn in the knees and in multiple other places, and covered in dirt.

All in all, I was a mess.

I stood up, then winced. My chest ached. I unwrapped the bandages and gagged- the wound was still crimson and nowhere near healed, despite everything Wendy had done. I grabbed a fresh set of white bandages that were left near my head and wrapped them around my rib cage. I used the wall for balance and shuffled forwards, out of the place I didn't know.

Gray's scent was fresh. He hadn't left long ago. He was headed in the direction of the guild.

I frowned and started walking in that direction, tugging out my hair elastic as I went and retying my hair- all of my light brown strands were falling out. My ribs ached again, and my pace varied- from hobbling to speed walking. "I can be so stupid," I admitted out loud.

My reflection passed in a nearby window.

I gasped.

The white scales had spread down my entire left side. All of the left side of my face, my shoulder and my arm, my legs. I had no clue why I didn't notice before. They had moved down my side and over my hip, but weren't anywhere near the stab wound just yet. I gagged.

_It won't be long._

I kept moving.

And, unfortunately, I found Gray, who was holding his side and wincing, as he held a conversation with Zeref. I didn't think they were there to exactly have tea. Gray didn't notice I was there yet- he was too wrapped up in Zeref's explanation.

"You have a huge army and immortality," Gray was saying as I drew closer. "Why do you need the abilities of the First?" Fair question.

"To defeat Acnologia," Zeref said bluntly, making Gray gasp.

The words made me inhale sharply.

"If that were my goal, would you lend me a hand?" the black mage asked, standing up from his spot.

Gray responded with frustration. "That's not funny."

"I wasn't asking you," Zeref said with a smirk, staring at me. I flinched.

The ice mage whirled around, and his eyes widened. I couldn't tell if it was relief or pain. "Nicole. Nicole, oh my god-"

I stumbled forwards and collapsed against him, arms stretching around him in a hug. He pulled his own arms around me and held tight, and I felt like I was going to cry. "Thank god," I whispered, "Thank god you're alive."

"You..." he said quietly, completely breathless. "You... You were dead."

"Wendy saved me," I said quietly, not removing my face from his shoulder. "I wasn't dead quite yet. I'm so sorry I made you worry."

He exhaled slowly, and pulled me in tighter. "God, Nicole. Never do that to me again."

I blinked rapidly, not wanting to move from my warm spot against his chest. "Okay."

"You shouldn't be here," Gray said finally, pulling away from me and studying me, from my tousled and blood-crusted hair to my scaled legs.

We had completely forgotten Zeref was there until we heard a tap. Zeref had tapped his hand against one of the wooden tables in the guild, smiling at us. It was an innocent smile, but we both knew better. "Would you lend me a hand, Nicole Emereon?" Zeref asked kindly. "In my plan to defeat Acnologia? You hate him, I'm sure."

I flinched. "Yeah, but not enough to help you."

"What if I told you I could remove your curse?"

I blinked my kaleidoscope eyes in confusion, glancing from Gray, who was just as confused as I was, back to Zeref. "I'm not cursed."

"Acnologia never removed the dragon seed from you," the black mage hummed, gesturing softly to me. I brought a hand up to my face and cursed. My scales. "You're turning into a dragon. I can remove that curse from you."

My body was trembling. "You- You're lying," I croaked. "There's no way."

Zeref smiled and spread his arms wide. "I know more about curses than anyone else in Ishigar. I've altered this kind of curse before, only once, but it worked. If you'd like me to do it, it would need to be done now, unless you want to suffer the drawbacks."

I was absolutely speechless.

Gray wasn't, thankfully. "Drawbacks?"

"If you'd been a dragon for a while," he said thoughtfully, "you'd lose your taste buds. You'd never be able to sleep."

I tried to from words but my mouth wouldn't work.

"It won't be long now," the black mage said, "before you turn into a dragon."

"I know," I gasped finally, tears stinging the corners of my eyes for unknown reasons. Their presence bothered me. "I know. W- What would I have to do?"

Zeref's smile widened, and Gray clenched his fists. "In the end, I'll be able to defeat even Acnologia. But you know, my true goal," he added with a dark glint in his eye, "isn't such an insignificant feat."

* * *

"You're kidding," I said in disbelief.

"What the..." Gray gasped.

Zeref shrugged casually. "You two are the first to hear it. I think no one from the twelve even knows about it." He paused, almost as if for dramatic effect. "Mavis' magical power... Fairy heart is just too powerful."

"Are you really going to..." the black-haired mage started.

"Do you have any idea why I told you this?" he mused. "Natsu is headed here right now." Gray's eyes widened, and I inhaled sharply. "But first, you two will die. When Natsu sees your bodies, he will be sad, and furious. It will be my last chance to fight against Natsu with all he's got. You will be the trigger to unleash his power."

"You wish," Gray scoffed, "when Natsu arrives, they're be nothing left of you."

I felt invisible. Speechless. I didn't comprehend Zeref's plan, and his offer to remove my curse.

"It's futile," Zeref mocked. "I'm immortal. Even if you did manage to kill me, Natsu..."

"Yeah, I know," Gray murmured.

I blinked. "Natsu will what?"

Gray's look of complete shock and mortification crushed me. "Oh god."

"She doesn't know?" Zeref mused, before turning to me and smiling. "Natsu is my beloved brother. He died, but I resurrected him as END. He is the strongest demon I've ever created. So, if I happen to die, Natsu dies with me."

"What?" I said dumbly. "Repeat that. I didn't catch it."

Gray glared at Zeref. "I wanted someone to blame for the deaths of my parents. The death of Ur. And that someone was END. But knowing that it's Natsu..." he trailed off, lost in thought. "I care more about those who are still alive. I don't care what they are. They're my friends."

"Time out," I snapped, crossing my arms in an X. "Natsu will die if Zeref does?" I got a nod. "What... What about my curse?" I turned to Zeref. "Can you remove it?"

"I have no reason to," he said, "you're on the side of the enemy."

I bit my lip. "I'll do anything."

"Anything?" he said with a chuckle. Zeref's intense glare turned to Gray. "Would you kill him?"

"Never," I retorted so quickly that I didn't know I said it until afterwards. "I'd rather die."

Zeref's smirk didn't waver. "Evidently, after what happened with Invel." I felt knots form in my stomach. _So, he knows about that._

I exhaled slowly. "I get it. You can't do anything for me. We're enemies." I choked back a sob. Gray's hand rested on my shoulder. He was unable to offer anything- there were no words for comfort or anything. Anything at all.

"Once you turn into a dragon," he said after a moment, "is when the curse is able to be removed. You would be able to turn into a dragon at will and become a human again. That is what I could do."

"Oh," I murmured quietly, squeezing my eyes shut to prevent tears from falling.

"If you would assist me with my plan-"

"I can't," I forced out. "I can't help you. I can't betray my guild like that."

Zeref sighed pleasantly. "That's unfortunate.

"However."

I tipped my head up. Gray looked up at Zeref.

"You've helped train Natsu. You've worked with Natsu. You've grown with Natsu. You were there when Igneel died."

"Yeah," I croaked. "So?"

"I suppose I should thank you. For your efforts."

Then, Zeref moved forwards, a ball of dark energy shot from his hand and sunk into my chest. Gray called out my name, but I only saw his lips moving, and I didn't hear anything. My pupils dilated. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, and I collapsed to the floor.

I've passed out way too many times today, but I added another time to the list as I sunk into unconsciousness.

* * *

**That skip between Zeref's 'big plan' revelation was intentional. That is how it appears in the manga, so I don't have a clue what his huge plan is yet either. That's why it's left unknown, for now.**

**Thank you for reading!~**


	90. Alvarez: Deals with the Dragon

**Thank you all for your kind words!~**

**Chapter 90: Alvarez: Deals with the Dragon**

**Nicole's POV**

Huh.

Where was I?

Where _am _I?

It's white. Blank. I'm standing on nothing yet something at the same time. Nobody's in sight, nothing's around. All I can see is white and white and more white. What just happened, anyways? Why am I here?...

Zeref. He hit me.

I frowned. Normally, dark chaos attacks like that don't affect me. So what was this?

"About time."

I whirled around.

"Natsu?!"

"Yo," he greeted, tucking his hands into his pants pockets. He looked the same as always, with that signature scaly white scarf wrapped around his neck. His pink fluffy hair fell unevenly across his head. "Where've you been?"

"Where am I?" I demanded, turning in a circle, looking for anyone else. Nothing.

Natsu scrunched up his face. "You're in your head. I think."

"I what now?"

Natsu turned around and started walking, and I jogged to keep up. "In yer head, stupid," the pink-haired dragon slayer scoffed affectionately.

"That doesn't make sense."

"No, not really," he agreed, but it wasn't Natsu anymore. The figure turned around, and instead of the goofy face of the dragon slayer I was greeted with the serious face of Rogue Cheney. "I'm not quite sure myself."

"Rogue?" I said, dumbfounded. "Where'd Natsu go?"

He shrugged, continuing to walk. "Your conscious erased him, I believe. Nothing more to it."

I moaned. "I never knew my head was so confusing."

"That's common knowledge, Princess."

"Sting!"

I threw myself at the White Dragon Slayer as he took the place of Rogue, but I ended up passing right through him. "I'm not real, stupid," he laughed as I rubbed my head sheepishly, blushing.

"I knew that," I huffed. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Same to you, Princess," Sting said enthusiastically, grinning. "C'mon, follow me. There's someone you have to meet."

"Who?" I demanded, turning around again. My surroundings hadn't changed. "Who am I meeting, Sting?"

"I'm Gajeel," Sting replied, but it wasn't Sting any longer. It was the dorky, tall dragon slayer with dozens of piercings and long, shaggy black hair. He grinned at me. "Can't you tell us apart, Princess?"

I groaned, smiling at the same time. "What is with that nick name?"

"C'mon," he called, beckoning. "We gotta keep going."

"Where?" I asked again, but he only laughed and kept walking. "This place is just a whole lot of nothing." He laughed again and kept moving, and I huffed angrily. "Why are all my tour guides so cryptic?!" We just kept walking, and soon enough, Gajeel faded away, and I was left with nobody. I glared at the empty space around me. Now what?!

Then, the background and scenery changed. What I saw slowly morphed from a whole lot of nothing to a blanket of crumbling rocks and snow. Mountains lined the backgrounds, and it all looked so incredibly realistic. Snow started falling in tiny white dots, and I felt so... at peace.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Fuyu."

I flinched. "That's not my name."

"Apologies."

I turned again.

Standing in front of me was a dragon I had never seen before. Pure white scales, whiter than snow, with huge pearly claws. The scales covered the muscles that lined the dragon's legs, front and back, and his huge, wide wings. His jaw was square and his eyes narrowed, and there was some sort of coldness behind them. Small ice shards seemed to dance and twirled around his neck and wings.

"Hi?" I said uncertainly.

"My name is Elnor. The Ice Dragon."

"Oh my god," I breathed, shaking. "You're..."

"Dead, yes," he rumbled. "But that's beside the point. You have been using my powers to good use."

I frowned, tilting my head to the side. "I don't even know how I got Ice Dragon Slayer powers when nobody taught them to me."

He bent down on his front legs, lowering his body until he was laying down. "Because Acnologia corrupted your memories, you strongly believed that you were meant to be an Ice Dragon Slayer, not whatever he had taught you to be. Due to this strong belief and your hidden dragon slayer qualities, you managed to learn the magic." He huffed, and the tiny ice shards fluttered around him angrily.

"Great message," I said sarcastically. "Believe, and everything'll work out."

"You regret learning my skills?"

"No!" I protested quickly, waving my hands for emphasis. "No, not at all." I grinned. "They've come in handy." I immediately thought of Gray and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"I see," Elnor rumbled, and I started wondering if he knew what I was thinking. "However, I am not here for small talk."

I nodded, "I'm sure."

He raised a claw, and from the snowy terrain rose a large seed, at least as big as my head. It had sprouted at the top, and was kind of translucent- I could see white and black tendrils swirling around inside.

"This is your dragon seed."

"Dragon seed," I repeated.

Elnor nodded. "As you know, the others dragon all hid inside their adopted children's bodies to produce the necessary antibodies."

"And I don't have those antibodies," I said with a sigh. "I'm turning into a dragon." I gestured at my face. The white scales were still there. And when I looked down at my ripped jeans, they were all the way down my legs too. It was inevitable.

"Yes. You are. And as you are Acnologia's daughter-"

"-I'm not-"

"Apologies. As Acnologia has raised you, he is fully intent on letting you become corrupted in order to help destroy the human race and rule the planet." Elnor seemed to stare pointedly at the dragon seed, as if accusing it. I was doing the same thing, I realized. I did have some stuff in common with this old dragon.

I shrugged. "That's not entirely my fault, now is it?"

"No," he agreed, "only Acnologia is to blame." Elnor sighed. "We are to blame as well. We should have realized the evil dragon's plans before it was too late. We were oblivious to the plan he created."

My eyes rolled and I let out a sigh. "A bit late to blame yourselves now."

"True," the dragon murmured in agreement. "But now it is your turn to choose."

"My turn."

"Yes."

I paused. "Elaborate."

"You have to accept the dragon seed," he said, "or fight it. And become human."

I stared at the snowy ground, at a loss for words. Then, I found them, as if they popped up from the snow. "I've always dreamed of the dragons," I said slowly. "I told people I was raised by one, and nobody believed me. Not a single person. But I knew it was true. It had to be." I sighed. "And I'd always imagined being a dragon. Being able to fly, having impervious scales, not having to worry about much." The happy dream made me smile.

"Actually, when I realized that Acnologia hadn't made any antibodies and I was going to be a dragon, I was actually excited for a minute," I continued with a laugh as Elnor regarded me peculiarly. "It was like a dream come true. And then I realized that I couldn't be with Fairy Tail." My voice muffled. "I wouldn't be able to be with the guild that saved me so many times. I couldn't be with Natsu, or Lucy, or Gray, Sting, Rogue, anyone.

"And I would be evil like Acnologia. The idea wasn't very appealing, especially since I heard from a dragon named Zirconis that the humans who became dragons went evil and corrupted." I remember that time in the dragon graveyard during the grand magic games with Wendy, Gajeel, Natsu, Lucy, and Gray. "Suddenly, the idea was less and less appealing. And I found myself just wishing to be only human."

I paused. Elnor stared at me with narrowed eyes.

I grinned. "I settled on being both."

Elnor looked surprised.

"For the benefit of both Fairy Tail and myself," I announced, "I'm going to be both. Acnologia can do it- become both dragon and human. If I want to fight and defeat him, I'm going to do the same. Then, I don't have to separate myself from Fairy Tail. I will defeat Acnologia."

The dragon seemed to chuckle. "Quite the answer."

"I'm a stubborn person, so I'm told," I admitted. "The idea got in my head and I haven't thought about anything else. I know it's selfish, but..."

"What about your sanity?"

"I'm going to keep that too," I assured him.

"That's a lot to handle and keep under control."

I grinned. "That's why I'm in a guild filled with dragon slayers and people who can keep me in check."

Elnor paused, and then he rumbled, like a laugh, and said, "you've picked a good answer."

"Does that mean it's possible?"

"Entirely. With my assistance."

I frowned. "What now?"

"My spirit will rest inside of you," he promised. "Although I am dead, I can remain with you. I will keep you from becoming as dark as Acnologia is. I will retain your sanity."

I blinked. "You... Will?"

"Yes."

"I don't even know you," I cried out with a happy laugh, covering my mouth with my hands as tears welled up in my eyes, "And you're saving my life."

"Let's just say, Nicole Emereon," he echoed as the snow started evaporating, making way for gold light, "that you're quite the interesting person."

The gold light shone from the mountains and the snow, enveloping the clearing and obstructing my vision. But I did see the dragon seed float towards me, and then, with a cold sensation, it sunk into my chest. I felt so cold and so warm at the same time, and the smile that split across my face was so wide and so filled with energy that I was ready for anything that was going to happen when I woke up.

Apparently not, because when my eyes fluttered open, I was not prepared for what I saw.

* * *

**Anyone have any ideas for mini bonus chapters? If you do, I'd love to hear them.**

**Thanks for reading!~**


	91. Alvarez: Lost Attribute

**Ninety-one chapters? Where has the time gone?**

**THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS, AAAAA I LOVE THEM**

**Chapter 91: Alvarez: Lost Attribute**

* * *

"Nicole!" As soon as the brunette crumpled, Gray caught her in his arms and knelt down to the floor when he realized she was unconscious. "Oi, Nicole! Nicole! Come on, wake up, dammit!"

"I didn't kill her," Zeref offered unhelpfully. "If I wanted to kill you both, I would've done it already."

Gray glared angrily at the dark mage before carefully setting the girl down on the floor. "What the hell'd you do to her?"

"She's dreaming," he said with a shrug. "But depending on her mental strength, she may find what she desires."

The ice mage shook his head angrily, standing up straight. "She's more stubborn than a mule. She'll be fine."

Zeref shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't be sure. I can just kill her."

Gray opened his palms, and the cool sensation of his magic flew through the empty guild hall, and the temperature dropped. Gray's black hair floated to spike up on his head, like it always did when he was in his Ice Devil Slayer mode.

"I won't let you."

Zeref scoffed, standing up from his cozy spot. "Don't you understand? If I die, Natsu-"

"There's a way to defeat you without killing you," he interrupted. Gray crossed his hands in front of him in an X, and the wind around him picked up, swirling faster. The temperature got even lower. Zeref's dark eyes widened. "Iced Shell," Gray proclaimed, eyes frozen on Zeref.

"This magic..." Natsu's brother whispered.

"I've been saved by others many times." Faces flashed through Gray's mind, starting with Natsu, Erza, even Lucy- then flashing to Ur as he had last seen her. His father's face froze in his mind, then was followed by Nicole's- when she tried to kill herself so Gray wouldn't have to kill her, blasting away the mini dragons as they had tried to shoot Gray, fighting Keyes to release his father, and so much more. Damn, he owed her. "So I can't die too easily. For everyone's sake."

Little did he know, Nicole was starting to wake up.

* * *

My eyes adjusted to the light quicker than I thought they would. I sat up on my elbows. Gray had his arms crossed in front of him in an X, and had his back to me- but the air around me was cold and the wind was whipping my ponytail around. Zeref looked afraid, the first time I'd seen it, and he only had eyes for Gray. They both weren't looking at me.

"This magic power," Zeref was whispering, "Lost Attribute?!"

What the hell was that?

"That's right," Gray snarled. I frowned. What kind of magic was it? I'd never heard of it. "No one has to remember me."

Say what?!

"I'll erase my existence from my friend's memories," he promised, and I was already completely against whatever he was trying to do. "I'll turn my life, memories, and existence into magic. Lost Iced Shell."

Iced shell? I tried to speak, but my voice wasn't working. That was the spell he told me that Ur used to seal away the demon that killed his family. That cost the user their life.

"Oh, hell no," my voice cracked.

It was like magic. The wind died, the temperature rose, and both the wizards in the room turned to face me. Gray looked so surprised that he looked like he would fall. "How long have you been awake?" he questioned.

"Hell no," I spat, getting to my feet shakily. "Fullbuster, you have no right. You have no right to decide if you're necessary in everyone's lives."

"There's been enough sadness and tears already," Gray said firmly, eyes darting around.

"No fucking way," I snarled angrily, balling my hands into fists. "Have you ever stopped to consider how we would feel?! Natsu, Erza, Lucy, Wendy?" My voice rose. "Me?!" The temperature was falling again.

"That was the point," he said slowly. "It wouldn't affect you, and you'd all forget about me. Natsu would be alive. Zeref would be defeated-"

I shook my head, glaring at him, tears pricking the corner of my eyes. "We have saved your ass so many times, and you for us. Are you going to waste all that?" He tried to object but I waved my hand, cutting him off. "I don't care what you say, I'd sure as hell remember you! Because you've saved my life so many times, I've saved your life so many times. You have changed my life in more ways than you will ever know."

My voice broke. "You've changed my life, Fullbuster." I took a breath and pushed out the 'L' word because I knew that could stop him in his tracks. And it was true, anyways. "And I'm not going to let the man I fell in love with walk away so easily." I realized I was crying, tears falling down my cheeks.

Gray's jaw fell open, and his face went a shade paler. Except for his cheeks- they started glowing pink. "W... What..." he stuttered. I furiously wiped at the tears.

Zeref rolled his eyes. I ignored him, only glaring at Gray's feet, unable to meet his eyes.

"You..." he said slowly.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP IT!"

Natsu barreled into the guild hall and grabbed Gray's head in the back of his hand, shoving Gray to the floor with a loud bang. The sudden heat made me fall backwards, and flames roared in the guild, melting away all traces of ice.

"You bastard," Natsu said angrily, "I've already stopped you from using that magic once." I blinked. What the hell was he talking about?

"I was blinded by emotion," Gray said quietly, getting up from under Natsu. "I tried to kill you guys. There's no longer a place for me in the guild!"

I was about to object when Natsu hollered, "in that way, I'm the same as you!" His voice softened, and he looked up.

Natsu was crying too. Just like I was.

"We're friends, aren't we?" he choked out, and Gray fell speechless for the second time within a minute. "Don't die," Natsu ordered, standing up. "Live! Dammit."

"But even if you defeat Zeref," Gray murmured, "you'll-"

"I won't die," Natsu insisted, fire igniting in his hands. "I won't! Fate?" Natsu took on a dark, terrifying aura that I'd never seen before. "Something like that, I'll burn it to ashes!" I wanted to sob in relief. Gray looked like he wasn't going to protest anymore, so I crawled over to him and wrapped my arms around his back, settling my cheek in between his shoulder blades.

Gray sighed, and his shoulder dropped slightly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"You better be," I warned, "and if you ever pull something like that again, Natsu won't be the worst one you have to deal with."

"Okay," he said quietly.

We both stood up, and as we did, Natsu lunged at Zeref. Their battle was starting, but all that mattered to me was Gray, who was looking down at me with a sudden sadness in his eyes.

"What you said," he stammered quietly, so Lucy and Happy didn't hear, "about me being-"

The memory of what I said flashed into my head and blood rushed to my face, my cheeks going red enough to rival Erza's hair. "W- What?!" I screeched. "I don't remember that! Nope, not at all!" I turned away, flushing angrily, to the guild door. "Let's get out of here. We're only going to get in Natsu's way, and there's other enemies we could be fighting."

"But," Lucy said uncertainly, glancing sadly at Natsu as Zeref flung him into the wall.

"Let's go," Gray agreed.

"Don't lose," I heard Lucy mutter under her breath, before the four of us turned and started jogging out of the guild we called home.

When I turned, Gray was smirking at me.

I huffed and turned away. I was _so_ going to kill him.

* * *

**Only took 91 chapters til we got a confession, hmm?**


	92. OMAKE: Movie Night

**Sorry for the wait! Special time!~ **

**This chapter is inspired by _BeyondTheClouds777._**

**Chapter 92: OMAKE: Movie Night**

**Normal POV**

It was a good suggestion. Movie night.

What was NOT a good suggestion was letting Natsu pick the movie.

Everyone was gathered at Lucy's apartment. Erza had dragged a television set up to her living room from Fairy Hills, and everyone was making themselves comfy. Lucy and Nicole, the hosts, were busy cooking up popcorn and other snacks in Lucy's small kitchen. In their living room sat Gray, Erza, Gajeel, Levy, Panther Lily, Wendy, and Carla. They were all waiting for Natsu and Happy to make their way back to the apartment with whatever movie Natsu had picked up.

"I'm back!" the pink-haired idiot called loudly as he pushed open the door.

"Aye sir!" Happy put in, sailing through the door after him. "We got the perfect movie!"

Erza accepted the movie case from Natsu and looked at the cover. "_Hotel Daku. _A horror movie. I approve."

"What?!" Lucy gasped. "Give me that!" She tore the case from Erza and glanced at the cover, with Nicole peering over her shoulder. It was an average looking hotel in the middle of the night, with the moon shining overhead. Behind the hotel was a creepy forest. The hotel's top window in the left corner was lit up, and a terrified-looking silhouette stood in the light.

Nicole gulped. "I hate horror movies."

"C'mon, Princess," Gajeel chuckled, "aren't you fearless?"

"Not when it comes to horror movies!"

"I bet I'll be less scared than you, Popsicle!" Natsu announced triumphantly, glaring at Gray, who was sitting on the end of the couch.

Levy frowned. "That doesn't make sense-"

"You're on, Ash-for-Brains!" Gray hollered right back, cracking his knuckles. "Don't blame me when you run crying to your mommy!"

Panther Lily frowned. "A horror movie? I've never seen one."

"Horror movies?!" Carla shrieked, glaring at everyone. "I will not let this defile Wendy's innocence!"

"Aw, come on, Carla!" Natsu whined. "Wendy's strong enough to watch a horror movie!"

"I am?" the blue-haired girl whispered faintly. Then, she grinned. "I am!"

"STRENGTH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" Lucy cried out in anguish, but her cries fell on deaf ears, because soon enough, most of the residents were getting into the idea of watching the horror film. "Alright," she said angrily, shushing the room. "Hands up for the horror movie?"

Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel immediately raised their hands. Erza raised hers afterwards, followed by a shrugging Panther Lily and Happy. Natsu saw Gray raising his hand and raised both of his in the air, as if that made him so much better. Wendy looked bewildered, but didn't raise her hand.

"So then, the people who don't want to are Carla, Wendy, Levy, Lucy, and myself," Nicole said uncertainly. "That's... five to six."

"WOO HOO!" Natsu cheered, bounding and falling on the mattress that Lucy and Nicole had pulled onto the floor. "Let's watch this!"

Nicole looked uncertain and kind of terrified. "But..."

But Erza popped in the disc and everyone settled down- Gajeel in a bean bag chair with Lily on his shoulder and Levy tucked into his lap (aw), Wendy, Carla, and Erza lounging on the mattress that Lucy had dragged in, and Natsu and Gray occupying the couch. Lucy sat on one end of the large couch, next to Natsu, and pulled him over, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at Nicole, then to the empty space between Gray and Natsu.

She realized the only empty seat was the one next to Gray, and that Lucy had done this on purpose. Nicole hissed through her teeth and sat down between Natsu and Gray, squeezing into the tight fit.

Gray smirked at her. "You don't like horror movies, eh?"

"Hate them," she replied immediately. "With a passion."

"C'mon," he replied with a laugh, "you're not a scaredy-cat, are you?"

"When it comes to horror movies," Nicole admitted stubbornly, tucking a blanket around her legs, "I sure as hell am." Gray fixed her a weird look, shook his head, and turned back to the screen.

The disc finished loading and the menu popped up. Eerie music filled the speaker, and Nicole was already getting chills. Lightning flashed behind the hotel. Erza wasted no time and pressed play on the remote.

The movie started out normally. A family of five, two parents, two daughters and a son, decided not to continue to their relative's house in the stormy weather and decided to stop at Hotel Daku. The check in went smoothly, the finding of the room went in smoothly. Everyone was all set to go to bed.

Then one of the little girls realized she forgot her backpack with her stuffed animal in it downstairs.

"Take a fucking flashlight," Nicole cursed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, "it's midnight, and you could at least take a fucking flashlight."

"And a baseball bat," Levy added, eyes wide.

"Language!" Carla scolded, but her eyes were glued to the screen.

Wendy whimpered, "Carla, I'm scared."

"This was a bad idea," Lucy said, shivering, "this was a horrible idea!"

To everyone's relief, the older girl took a flashlight. Her younger sister decided to go with her. The parents were both sleeping, as was their brother, so they took one of the key cards, turned on the flashlight, and left through the dimly lit halls.

"Oh my god," Levy whispered as the music started to slow down and become darker. Lightning flashed through the hotel windows, and Panther Lily covered his eyes. "Oh my god."

Gajeel chuckled, but it was slightly forced, and his eyebrows were creasing. "You scared, shrimp?"

"This is quite interesting," Erza said, sparkles in her eyes as she grabbed a handful of popcorn. Lucy shook her head in mortification.

Natsu clapped his hands together. "They're gunna die, they're gunna die-"

"Shut it," Nicole squeaked, hands clamped in a death grip on the blanket. She was clamping her hands so hard that her nails were digging into her palms through the thin blanket. This didn't go unnoticed by Gray.

The girls continued.

They went to a turn in the hallway.

"Turn back," Levy was whispering, "turn back, turn back!"

"No, no no no nononono-" Lucy was panting, clinging onto Natsu's arm like a lifeline.

"Yes!" Natsu and Happy cheered.

Gray frowned. "Shut up!"

"Scared yet?"

"As if! I'm trying to enjoy the movie!"

The girls rounded the corner and Nicole let out a piercing scream, which in result made everyone else scream (even Gajeel, who wouldn't admit it later) yet the two protagonists only ran into a bellboy. "Nicole!" Gajeel groaned loudly. "What was that for?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she squeaked, her face going paler. "It was really suspenseful!"

Everyone turned back to the movie. Gray frowned, and turned to Nicole, who was as white as a ghost. "You going to be okay?" he whispered.

Nicole nodded feverishly. "Yeah, I can last." But her shaking suggested otherwise. Gray offered a hand and she clamped onto it, squeezing tightly. Nicole realized what they were doing and turned from white to red as Gray smirked at her. "After this is done," she hissed, squeezing onto Gray's hand, "I'm going to kill you."

The protagonists successfully retrieved their bags and went back to the elevator. The bellboy stepped in with them, which was a mistake, because when they got to their floor, the older girl stepped out of the elevator and the bellboy held the younger one back, smiling evilly at the back of the older girl's head.

And, for convenience, the older girl didn't notice that the bellboy was the reason her sister was stuck in the elevator, and only ended up screaming her sister's name as her sister screamed back, and the elevator plummeted.

"This is horrible," Lucy squeaked from behind Happy, "this is stupid, this is crazy-"

"This is fantastic!" Erza said, biting into more popcorn. "The dramatic irony of the viewers knowing the bellboy is the problem and the protagonist doesn't is riveting!"

"Riveting?!" Levy protested. "Terrifying!"

Nicole was shaking, squeezing the Ice Make mage's hand like a lifeline. "Oh my god, oh my god, I can't handle this."

Gray squeezed her hand lightly. "Relax, it's just a movie."

"Just a movie," she repeated sarcastically, glaring at him. "Doesn't feel like it."

Gray laughed. At least she still had her witty sense of humour.

**. . .**

The girl went back to her room, realized she forgot her key card, and went _back _to the elevators, where she found her younger sister's bloody body sitting in the elevator.

"Shit," Nicole cursed, and this time, Carla didn't stop her. "Holy fucking shit-"

"This is AWESOME!" Natsu cried.

Erza nodded along. "Very well done, I have to agree."

"You two are insane!" Lucy squeaked, the pale shade of her face rivaling Nicole's.

"Breathe," Gray encouraged Nicole, who looked close to a panic attack. "It's not real."

"I know, idiot," she scowled. "And I AM breathing."

She frowned when he let go of her hand but didn't protest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his bare chest (god, where'd his shirt go _now?_). "You're going to be fine."

"I know," she said with a scowl, but she cuddled closer into Gray's side, enjoying the warmth.

**. . .**

"Another one down," Happy reported as the father's body was found, bloodied and mangled in a broom closet.

Natsu sighed and checked another tick mark off on the scrap sheet of paper he had. "That's five now."

"You guys are keeping track?!" Lucy yelped.

"Scared yet, Flame Brains?" Gray taunted.

"You wish, Icicle!"

"Wendy's asleep," Erza noted. Carla and Wendy were cuddled together on the mattress, fast asleep, despite the obvious terror going on around them. How the hell they could possibly manage that, Nicole had no clue. She was shaking like a leaf.

Levy was squeezed tight in Gajeel's arms, eyes peeking out over his muscles at the screen- which was mostly blood, dead bodies, lightning, and dark hallways. "This is supposed to be entertaining?" Panther Lily said slowly, crossing his arms.

"This is great!" Happy agreed. Natsu nodded along, pulling Lucy closer to his side.

"Dear god, just let this movie be over," Nicole whispered, jamming her eyes shut.

Erza smiled scarily. "Only forty minutes left!" She may as well have said 'the world is dying' because Lucy and Nicole both snuggled closer to their respective partners, shrieking.

**. . .**

The movie was reaching its climax, and nobody could handle it. Even Natsu and Gray were looking unnerved. The protagonist walking down the hallway, sobbing, her flashlight flickering, covered in blood that wasn't her own. The music was slowing, and someone was stalking the girl, the only visible part about him or her being their creepy silhouette.

"Turn around," Levy breathed, her voice shrill, "turn around!"

"Happy thoughts, happy thoughts," Lucy chanted, glaring at the far wall. "Happy thoughts!"

"Oh my," Erza whispered in excitement.

Nicole was shaking her head quickly. "No, no, no!"

Gray and Natsu were both leaning forward eagerly. "Go, evil bellboy!" Natsu cheered.

"No, it's the desk man!" Gray argued.

"Bellboy!"

"Desk man!"

"Bellboy!"

"Desk man!"

"Bellboy!"

"Desk man!"

"Bellboy!"

"Desk man!"

"BELLBOY!"

"DESK MAN!"

"It's the mother!" Nicole shrieked, making everyone jump. The figure was still creeping up on the leading protagonist. "Oh my god, just everyone shut up!"

Erza nodded. "I think so too."

"How'd ya get that?" Gajeel grumbled, glaring at the screen.

The music changed, the girl screamed, the figure's face was revealed, the screen cut to a bloody, tiled floor and then to black. The credits started rolling, and finally, everyone could breathe again.

"How'd you know it was the mother?" Gray asked Nicole, who had straightened up.

She sighed, obviously relieved that the horror film was over. "When you're scared out of your mind but you can't tear your eyes away from the screen, you pick up the little things."

"I," Lucy announced, "am SO glad that's over." Levy nodded, her face still pale.

"Ha! I so won, Ice Prick!" Natsu cheered.

Gray glared angrily at Natsu. "What're you talking about, Dragon Breath?! I was so less scared than you!" Erza clonked them both over the head before the fighting could continue.

"All right, everyone," Lucy said with a sigh, getting up and shutting the disc player off. "You all can go home now."

She was greeted by blank stares and silence.

"Go home," Levy repeated, "in the dark? In the middle of the night?!"

This was met with further protesting ("I'm so glad I live here," Nicole remarked) until Lucy threw her hands in the air. "FINE!" she howled. "You can all stay here tonight! But tomorrow morning, you're all out!"

"PRAISE OUR GODDESS LUCY!" Natsu and Happy cheered, bowing down before her.

"I thought you two weren't scared!"

"We weren't!"

"But-"

"Good night!" Erza said cheerfully, requipping into her pajamas and curling up on the mattress next to Wendy and Carla. Lucy and Nicole pulled out some extra blankets and pillows, and soon Gajeel, Levy, and Panther Lily were sound asleep on the floor.

Natsu immediately followed Lucy to her room ("We do this all the time," Natsu had said cheerily, to Lucy's embarrassment and Gray and Nicole's amusement) and that left just Gray and Nicole with the couch.

"Thanks for helping me through that," Nicole said sheepishly as Gray lay back on the couch.

He laughed. "Who would've thought that the tough little Princess would be terrified with horror movies?"

"Shut it," she hissed with a grin.

Gray patted the couch. "C'mon."

Blushing, Nicole grabbed a blanket and fell down on the spacious couch next to Gray, curling up by his side. She pulled the blanket over the two of them. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep," Nicole confessed, blushing. "And if I do, I'll have nightmares."

"You'll be fine," Gray said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm right here, aren't I?"

"That's what worries me."

"Oi!"

But the pair fell fast asleep, huddled together under the blanket.

Nicole's predicted nightmares never appeared.

* * *

**Nicole can't stomach horror movies. Much like myself. **

**God, who even likes horror movies?!**


	93. ALTERNATE: Death

**An alternate ending- what if Nicole actually had died?**

**Chapter 93: ALTERNATE: Death**

**Normal POV**

"Carla, hurry!" Wendy urged as the duo soared through the air, Carla holding onto Wendy. "How long do you think Nicole has?"

"I'm not sure!" Carla called back, the wind whistling past them. "All I saw was Nicole bleeding out on the ground. She should be somewhere this way!" Wendy nodded in determination and the two sped up, trying to go as fast as possible, unsure if their female companion was okay.

Seconds turned into minutes, and after what felt like forever, Wendy pointed, "There! I can smell her!" and the pair flew faster until they saw the open, icy, and bloody ground open up with Nicole's broken body laying on top.

They soared down and Wendy immediately dropped, holding her hands over Nicole's rib cage, which seemed to be the worst, among other cuts and bruises. It was as if someone had speared her straight through. There was so much blood around her; it looked like Nicole had tried to bathe in it.

"Come on," Wendy murmured, shaking, "come on, Nicole!"

Carla narrowed her eyes and moved to Nicole's head, trying to look for any signs of movement. She felt for a pulse.

Carla gasped.

"What is it?" the Sky Dragon Slayer inquired, her healing magic working quickly and efficiently. The wound seemed to be closing. "Carla, what's wrong?" The white exceed didn't answer. She instead stared in horror at Nicole's peaceful face. "Carla!"

She still didn't reply. The true horror of the situation was starting to dawn on Wendy, and she started to panic. "Carla, look. Her wound's closing up!" The blue-haired girl was right. The horrible scar across the Ice Dragon Slayer's chest was receding. The blood had stopped flowing.

So why wasn't Nicole moving?

Why was her chest not rising and falling?

Tears started to slip out of Carla's eyes. "Wendy..."

"She's fine, Carla!" Wendy insisted, pouring her heart and soul into her healing magic, the warmth flowing off her hands. "Her wound is closing! She has to be fine! I..." Wendy's voice caught. "I have to protect everyone! I have to save everyone! I have to..."

"Wendy," Carla repeated, and she finally looked up at her partner.

Wendy saw the streams of tears on Carla's face as the white exceed shook her head slowly. "No," Wendy said, her voice shrill, "I've got to protect everyone! I'm the healer," she declared fiercely, glaring at the angry red wound, "and I can't like Chelia down. I..."

As if a button was pressed, Wendy deflated, her chest sinking. The warmth around her hands that was her healing magic faded.

And then she started sobbing, and Carla was crying, and they hugged each other and cried. The tears had no end. Wendy was shaking and sobbing, devastated, and Carla was no better. They hadn't been quick enough.

The wound was closing, but Nicole was already dead.

* * *

Erza let go of Gray and Natsu, wiping the tears off her face. Natsu's demonic claws faded away. The black lines that indicated Gray's Demon Slayer abilities also fell away, and they both sighed. Erza had stopped them both before they could kill each other.

Lucy arrived and wrapped her arms around Natsu's back, relieved that he was okay. Erza smiled softly at the two.

"Say, Gray," Erza said softly, turning to the Ice Mage. "Where's Nicole? Wasn't she with you?"

Gray's eyebrows knit together, temporarily confused.

But then he remembered. He remembered stabbing his own side with a sword, he remembered her stabbing herself through the chest. He remembered the cold feeling of the chain vanishing, and he remembered Invel walking away. He remembered the healing, his wound healed, and Nicole, slowly passing out in his arms. No. Dying in his arms.

"Gray?" Erza continued with a frown. "Are you alright?"

Gray started shaking, and his mouth started wobbling. "She..."

Erza's eyes widened.

"She's gone," he gasped out, before the tears fell again. The waterworks had begun again, and now Erza was crying too. Nicole is- was- a good friend to her, and she loved her like a sister. And suddenly, she wouldn't ever see her anymore.

Nicole was gone.

Erza pulled Gray into her chest and they were both crying together, sinking to their knees. Erza's eyes ached from crying, Gray's chest hurt. Gray was shaking and sobbing, but Erza's tears were silent, only offering what comfort she could to Gray.

"Hey," Lucy called out, carrying a passed out Natsu on her back. "What's wrong?"

Gray and Erza broke apart, looking up at Lucy, and the blonde instantly knew something was wrong.

"Nicole's..." Erza started, her throat drying up.

"She's dead," Gray concluded miserably, his voice hitching as fresh tears appeared.

Lucy dropped Natsu. Completely out of shock, they were sure, but soon the blond was shaking and sobbing, pulled into the messy hug, and Happy was joining too, tears streaking across his soft fur. Lucy's sobs were louder than Gray's.

She'd lost a room mate, a best friend, and a sister.

Erza had lost a partner and a sister.

Gray had lost one of his best friends, his partner, and his lover.

God...

How was Natsu going to react when he woke up?

No longer would the fun, exciting Dragon Slayer be a part of the guild brawls in the morning.

No longer would Lucy have to split her rent, because she didn't have a room mate anymore.

No more of anything.

* * *

"What?" Natsu said, dumbfounded.

Lucy swallowed hard, tears threatening to spill again. "Gray told us. S- She sacrificed her life for him." The blonde girl hiccuped, wiping furiously at her eyes.

"Nicole?" the pink-haired demon said again. Lucy nodded, tears finally coming again. "No."

But the blonde shook her head, avoiding Natsu's eyes, tears falling.

"No," he repeated, and then Natsu touched his cheeks and realized that he was crying too. "Nikki... No!" And then Natsu was hitting things, screaming at things, screaming at the world, asking why. Why?

Why'd she have to die?

* * *

**That was horribly depressing. I don't even know why I wrote that.**

**THANK YOU to the abundance of reviews from _Lyssandra_! You made me so happy! Your compliments made my year! :D**


	94. OMAKE: The Jenivieve Ball, Part One

**Thought of a little mini arc involving a job that the Fairy Tail characters take. Short, cute, good for development (and shipping). I need to let the manga progress further before I update the original arc. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 94: The Jenivieve Ball, Part One**

"How about this one?" Erza mused, holding up an advertisement.

"'Protect fragile glassware from monsters'," Lucy read out, frowning. "I don't think that's quite up Team Natsu's aisle." Nicole snorted and nodded alongside Lucy- protecting things? Not a chance.

Gray snorted. "Flame Brain over here would protect the monsters and break the glass."

The pink-haired Dragon Slayer stood up, slamming a fist on the table, knocking over a mug of beer. "Oi, Popsicle! What was that?!"

"You heard me!"

Thus, on the simple task of selecting a new job for Team Natsu, another famous guild brawl occurred, resulting in an angry Erza, two fresh lumps on Gray and Natsu's head, a spilled barrel of beer (Cana sobbed) and many broken tables. Job finding wasn't easy- just ask Nab.

Makarov shook his head with a sigh. "Just pick a job and get on with it, brats!"

"We'll do this one," Erza decided, pulling off a poster. Nicole craned her neck to look, but didn't quite catch a glimpse. Lucy did, and her eyes lit up in excitement. "This'll be perfect!" the blonde squealed in excitement, "and we can invite a couple other people!"

"What is it?" Nicole finally asked, and Erza passed her the job paper.

_Protect Princess Jenivieve at the Jenivieve Ball from many potential kidnappers._

_Eight people total, preferably strong wizards who can protect the princess._

_Reward: 2, 000, 000_

"Two million jewels?!" Nicole squawked.

"Holy crap! How much?" Gray asked, leaning over Nicole's shoulder.

Lucy sighed dreamily. "That could cover our rent for... forever!"

"We'd have to split it," Erza reminded her, gazing thoughtfully at the reward.

"That's still about 250, 000 jewels per person," Nicole added quickly, doing the math in her head. "Plenty to cover our rent." Lucy grinned at her and they exchanged a high-five.

Natsu whooped, jumping up on a table. "I'm all fired up now!"

"That settles it!" Erza declared. "Let's take it!"

Team Natsu let out a hearty cheer. Mission time.

* * *

The team had set out immediately, because they were supposed to be at this fancy castle in this elaborate kingdom by 7. The job required eight people- not including exceeds. So, the party of Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, and Nicole was obviously not enough. Juvia had eagerly volunteered to accompany them, clinging to Gray's arm like a lifeline, and Nicole was quick to invite Gajeel, to keep her sane around Juvia. Gajeel had grumbled the whole time, but Levy was on a job with Jet and Droy, and he didn't have anything else to do. And when the Ice Dragon Slayer mentioned the reward, he agreed.

The ride was painful for half the party. The Dragon Slayers spent most of the ride holding their food down, to the amusement of others. But nevertheless, they all made it to Marigold Palace in time.

Eza rang the doorbell, which sounded like a chorus of trumpets and flutes.

"Fancy ass palace," Gajeel grumbled, crossing his arms.

Nicole punched him in the arm. "Come on, you know it's nice."

"It's gorgeous," Lucy said, staring up at the white and gold towers.

Natsu was about to say something when the huge brass doors swung open, revealing a short man in a tuxedo. "Welcome," he squeaked. "King Dyckmore will see you now!"

"King what now?" Natsu repeated, before he burst into laughter.

Gajeel joined him, cackling behind his hand. The girls all looked at each other and rolled their eyes collectively- boys, eh?

They all followed the tiny butler into the mansion, which opened up in to a huge ballroom. It was absolutely gorgeous, expensive, and the fanciest place Nicole had ever been too. Now she could imagine the reward money. The crew went through a large door in the back that led to a throne room.

A middle aged, balding man sat on the throne with a large gold crown and long silk robes. A servant was scurrying away with an empty drink glass. The King sighed, leaning against him armrest. "Fairy Tail wizards. You've finally arrived."

"Finally?" Juvia murmured, frowning.

"I've summoned you here because I need your assistance protecting my daughter," the king said with a sigh, not waiting for them to say anything. "It's the ball in honor of her eighteenth birthday, and only the most formal are welcome. There are many rumors about a potential kidnapping. I'd like you to ensure her safety, because I'm positive these kidnappers will appear as guests for the ball."

"Wait-" Lucy said.

"They want her for ransom, of course," he said tiredly. "My many servants and spies have all told me the same thing. You will all be undercover as guests, scouting out those who could be enemies and getting rid of them should they appear. Questions?"

"Uh," Nicole said uncertainly, "we didn't exactly bring formal wear."

The king raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. "I can tell. Formal wear isn't exactly up your alley, is it?"

Her eyebrows shot up to the top of her head, and Nicole's cheeks flushed. Everyone bit their lips- she might have exploded, but surprisingly, Nicole held her tongue and didn't say a word.

"I've taken the courtesy," he drawled, "of gathering the finest gowns in the land. You may all change. Be ready for 7:30, please. If you successfully keep my daughter safe, should there be a threat, you will all be rewarded."

_That _was the part they were here for. Little sparkles filled everyone's eyes as they all envisioned the reward money.

Then, they were whisked away by servants- the boys into one room, and all the girls into another. The exceeds- Panther Lily, Carla, and Happy- were all pulled away separately, apparently for a special task. Juvia, Nicole, Lucy, Erza, and Wendy were escorted into a huge room with racks of gowns lining the walls.

"Holy crap," Lucy gasped, eyes skimming the expensive dresses.

"Oh no," Nicole murmured.

"Oh yes," Juvia said gleefully.

Wendy sighed, "are there any my size?"

"Let's get to it!" Erza said with a gleam in her eye.

Five maidens entered the room, bowed to them, and each took to a girl. "What can I help you with, miss?" said a petite brunette, smiling up at Nicole.

"Gah," she said back smartly, staring around the room. Erza's helper was already holding three different dresses that the Requip mage wanted to try on. Lucy was skimming through racks. Wendy was pulled away to a different room, for something her size; Juvia was already vanishing into a change room. "I, uh..."

"Can I suggest something, miss?"

"Y- Yeah. Sure. I'm not good at this."

She laughed cheerily. "That's quite alright, that's what I'm here for. I think you'd look very nice in a light shade of pink."

"Pink?!"

"Yes, ma'am."

That was quite the insult, considering Nicole had gone all her life avoiding the colour like plague. But tonight was supposed to be fun, and they were all supposed to look good (that, and Gray and Juvia seemed more attached today than usual). So, for the sake of the mission (yeah, like that was the only reason), she said with a sigh, "Sounds like a plan."

The maid beamed and gently took her hand, pulling her to a rack of long gowns. Thank god, these were all faded pink- the maid called them 'blush'. They weren't hot pink, or magenta, or the kind that really stood out. Nicole inhaled. _Okay. Pick one that's really nice, even if you don't like it. Pick a nice one._

"Can I try that one?" Nicole asked, pulling a long dress off the rack, immediately disgusting herself but sucking it up.

"Great taste, ma'am," the girl said brightly, carefully removing it from the rack. "Is there anything else you'd like to try on?"

"No, just the one," she replied, accepting the gown. "Where can I try it on?"

The petite girl smiled brightly- did she ever stop smiling?- and pointed to a large room at the back. "In there. Once you've put on the dress, if you like it, I can adjust it to your sizing or your liking."

Her mouth went dry. She wasn't used to this kind of beauty attention. "Y- Yeah. Sure."

Nicole slipped the dress on, and it proved to be comfy, snug, and very nice. The longer she looked in the mirror, the more she liked it. It didn't have sleeves, and the materials rose over her bust. A thin, transparent material covered her collarbone and neck, and her Fairy Tail guild mark. The material looked like it had roses on it; small beads that shimmered.

The waist was a bit loose, and the bottom flowed out; it was a soft, shimmering material that looked gorgeous.

And despite the fact she hated pink, Nicole found herself in love with the dress. The maid was right; it did look good on her. There was a polite knock at the door, and the maid called out, asking if it was okay to come in. "Yes, come in," Nicole called back, twirling in front of the mirror.

She walked in, and her eyes lit up. "You look fantastic, ma'am! The dress really suits you!"

Nicole could tell the compliment was genuine. "Thank you so much for recommending it," she said sheepishly, "I probably wouldn't have gone anywhere near the pink."

The maid giggled. "Are there any alterations you want me to make?"

Nicole thought for a second. "If you don't mind, the waist is a bit loose."

"No problem!" To her surprise, the maid conjured a needle and thread out of thin air, and immediately set to work on tightening the waist. The work was expert, and Nicole was in awe watching her work.

"Magic?" she wondered aloud.

The maid nodded, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as the needle and thread spun in circles, untouched by her hands. "Yes. His Majesty doesn't prefer his maids to know any magic, so I keep it to myself. I practice a lot."

Nicole and the maid basked in silence as the needle continued. "What's your name?" the Ice Dragon Slayer asked.

"My name is Ilia," she said proudly. With a snap, the needle and thread vanished. "Ilia Huron."

"Why do you work here?"

"It's good pay," Ilia replied quietly, her tiny head sinking. "And I need to provide for my sick father and brother. This is the only way to receive enough money to treat their diseases."

Nicole softened. "Is it bad?"

"Yes," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if it will get better." There was a silence, until Ilia broke it. "How about your hair, ma'am?"

She smiled at the maid. "Call me Nicole, please."

"Okay," the brunette replied, smiling.

"And... maybe I could have it down?"

"I will go fetch the hair tools!"

Ilia was off like a shot, and Nicole felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. Working here, under a tired, useless king (don't tell him she said that) for the sole purpose of helping her family. She had strong magic, too- Nicole could sense it. She was already imagining directly needle and thread attacks that the girl could possibly use. Before long, Ilia was back, and set to work on Nicole's hair.

"You don't wear your hair down often, hmm?" Ilia hummed quietly, running a brush through Nicole's brunette locks, which had gotten considerably longer.

She blushed, "not really. Can you tell?"

"Your hair's got a certain wave to it," the maid confessed. "It's beautiful hair, ma'am."

"Nicole," she reminded her.

"Nicole," Ilia repeated, smiling. "Wearing your hair down for the occasion today?"

The Dragon Slayer instantly thought of Gray, and her face flushed red. "W- Well, kinda, I guess. There's a guy... who I'm trying to impress." Admitting this felt like a weight pulled off her shoulders.

Ilia giggled. "How cute! Are you and this boy close?"

Nicole shrugged, feeling completely confident sharing this with the girl. "Yeah," she said with a grin, remembering the few kisses they'd shared on holidays. "Well, I hope so. Another girl came along on this mission with us, and..." she thought for a second. "She's absolutely in love with this guy. And they've seemed pretty close so far on the mission, so..."

"You're hoping to wow him!" Ilia squealed.

She flushed bright red. "You could say that."

"How adorable," the maid sighed, patting the top of her head. "Worry not, Miss Nicole. You will be jaw-dropping gorgeous." Nicole giggled, and as Ilia did her hair, she found herself sharing more with the girl. Nothing critical, only silly adventures they went on, her odd relationship with Gray, her best friends. Ilia listened well to all of them, popping in with little bursts of enthusiasm and little side notes that made Nicole laugh.

"Is there a pin or something you wish to use?" the maid asked, a minute before she was done.

Nicole thought for a minute, then grinned and held out her palm. A snowflake materialized, smaller than her palm but big enough to see the intricate detail.

It matched the snowflake on the bracelet she was wearing- the bracelet she'd gotten from Gray as a Christmas present.

"This, please," she said, handing the snowflake to Ilia.

"This is beautiful," Ilia said, "but won't it melt?"

"Not as long as I'm touching it," Nicole said with a laugh. "Ice is my specialty!" Ilia nodded in affirmation, fixing the snowflake in her hair with a few pins. A few more minutes passed until Nicole started getting nervous for the final result. Ilia took a make up pad of sorts and brought a brush up to Nicole's face. The brunette mage gave her free reign to do whatever she wanted- not like she was a make up artist, anyhow.

Ilia stepped back from her work. "I am finished! Please tell me if you like it!"

Nicole turned to the full length mirror, kind of nervous, but was completely surprised with what she saw. The grungy, I-don't-care girl had been transformed into what looked like a princess. No; she was a queen. Her hair was slightly curly, and fell to just above her bust. One could see the curves that Nicole hadn't known were there. Her eyes were sharper, and the flecks of blue in her eyes seemed so much more prominent. Her make up was done perfectly. She looked so different that Nicole almost didn't recognize the girl in the mirror.

"Is this to your liking?" Ilia said formally.

Nicole blinked rapidly. "This is absolutely perfect! I... I didn't know I could look this good! Thank you so so much, Ilia!" In her excitement, Nicole wrapped the maid in a hug. The small girl squeaked in surprise as Nicole let go. "Thank you!"

"I- It is my pleasure," she squeaked, bowing. "You look beautiful!"

"All thanks to you," Nicole assured her, twirling. "I actually feel confident to go out in a dress now."

The two exchanged a last hug, and Nicole thanked Ilia over and over multiple times, before she went out the door, to meet in the common room with her guild mates, Ilia called out to her. "Miss Nicole!"

"Yeah?"

"If you're having trouble," the innocent girl said, a sparkle forming in her eye, "I suggest playing hard to get. You're much too pretty to avoid looking at or being near, anyways." Nicole burst out laughing and thanked the girl who she thought was innocent before she glanced up at the clock.

7:32.

...Weren't they supposed to meet at 7:30?

"Shit!" Nicole cursed, jamming her feet into tall rose-pink heels and throwing open the door. Were she and Ilia talking for that long?

And of _course, _she was the last one.

Lucy was in a midnight blue gown that shimmered as she twisted to face Nicole. The top half looked like two long strips of material that crossed over her chest and were covered in silver gems. Wendy wore shiny, silk, sky blue dress with her hair straightened. Her heels made her look taller. Erza wore the most gorgeous black dress Nicole had ever seen- completely covered in silver dots that collected tightly at her waist and spread out at the bottom. It was tight on her chest, and so flawless that Nicole wished she was wearing it. Juvia's white wedding-like dress had flower printing at the top, and made Nicole's stomach flutter. She looked really nice.

"Nicole?" Lucy gasped as Nicole's eyes widened in terror. "You look gorgeous!"

"I- I do?" Lucy threw herself at the brunette, pulling her into a hug. "Thanks, Lucy."

Erza pulled her into a hug next. "I had no clue pink was your colour, Nicole."

"Me neither," she admitted, grinning sheepishly.

"You look fantastic," Wendy agreed.

"Says you," Nicole retorted, grinning. "All of you! You girls all look like magazine models!" Lucy and Erza both grinned at her. Wendy blushed, and Juvia puffed out her cheeks and looked the other way. Nicole bit the inside of her cheek. "Wait, were you guys waiting for me?"

"Yes," Juvia said quickly. "And now, Juvia thinks we will be late."

Nicole's cheeks burned. "I'm sorry, you guys could've gone without me."

Erza waved her off. "We only got here a few minutes before you. No need to worry at all. Shall we go?" The five girls exchanged shy smiles and walked down to the door at the end of the room. Nicole twisted her bracelet restlessly on her wrist.

The guys were bickering, as usual, but when they entered, the three stopped and turned. Nicole deliberating avoided Gray's eyes, nervous to what expression she might see. Gajeel had his hair pulled back and a fancy black suit, with a blood red tie. Natsu was wearing a sleek, dark grey suit with his scarf, and no tie.

Gray was in a black suit with a royal blue tie, but the suit jacket was already unbuttoned. His hair was ruffled as always, and he looked like someone out of a model magazine. Nicole's breath hitched in her throat and it felt like someone had sucked the air out of her lungs. Suddenly, she felt so much more self-conscious.

Gajeel spoke to her first: "Well, for once, Princess, you don't look like you just rolled out of bed."

"Rude!" Nicole huffed angrily, her cheeks lighting up as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And don't call me that!"

"Gihi," Gajeel snickered, patting her on the head as she scowled. "You look nice though, Princess."

She rolled her eyes, "I guess you look decent for once." But her heart felt warm from the compliment.

"Trying to impress Gray?" the singer asked quietly, grinning.

Her face flushed, confirming the answer before she even had to say it. "N-No! Not at all! Shut up!"

"You're doin' a good job of it," Gajeel laughed, his eyes flashing over to Gray.

Nicole flushed and didn't try to contain her curiosity anymore. She turned, her hair whipping over her shoulder, and she saw Gray staring back at her. He looked a little surprised- his eyes were wide, and he was ignoring Juvia, who was clinging onto his arm. Even that made Nicole smile a bit. She loved Juvia and all, but... she loved- no, _liked, _that's way too far at the moment- Gray too.

He started walking over to her. Her stomach started a gymnastics routine.

"Hey," she said breathlessly, her eyes trailing down his suit.

"Hey," he replied, and he seemed as terrified as her.

There was an awkward silence in which Juvia planted herself in front of Nicole, turning to Gray. "Gray-sama looks as dashing as always! Is Gray-sama excited to dance with Juvia?!" She spoke so shamelessly and which such passion that Nicole was immediately jealous- not of Juvia, but of... Yeah. She was jealous of Juvia. Juvia and her speaking skills.

"Sure," Gray said awkwardly, still gazing at Nicole, whose cheeks were becoming redder and redder.

"Eh," Nicole stuttered oddly, flushed, before she turned around and marched over to Erza, who was glancing at everyone with a smile (or maybe it was a smirk?).

Erza sent her a knowing smile. "I see."

"There's nothing to see!" Nicole fumed, cheeks redder than her friend's hair. "I-"

The far door opened, and the eight of them turned. A butler walked in, and he bowed formally. "Ladies and gentlemen, the guests are beginning to arrive. The King's orders are to act neutral, gather any potential information that could be vital to your success, and blend in." Lucy elbowed Natsu hard at the butler's words. "Is this clear?"

They all nodded. Nicole swallowed the lump in her throat and looked over at Gray. He wasn't looking at her anymore, instead nodding towards the butler.

The servant pushed the door open for them, and they all began their mission.

* * *

**If you want to see the dress Nicole was wearing, the link is below. Just remove the spaces and the brackets :)**

** www. promgirl(.com)/ shop/ dresses/ viewitem-PD1594693**


	95. OMAKE: The Jenivieve Ball, Part Two

**Chapter 95: The Jenivieve Ball, Part Two**

As soon as the doors opened wide to the gorgeous ballroom, already crowded with guests, Nicole made a beeline for the food tables.

Hey, when you're stressing and trying to impress a guy, you can build up an appetite!

When Nicole got closer, she noticed three little cats- no, exceeds- standing by the tables. She giggled- it was Carla, Happy, and Panther Lily. Carla was wearing a formal black dress and the two male exceeds had matching navy blue tuxedos. All three of them had their gorgeous exceed wings spread out behind their backs. Panther Lily was carefully balancing a platter of food in his paws.

"Well, look who it is!" She trotted over, wobbling in her heels. "You three look so fancy!"

"Thank you," Panther Lily replied formally, nodding. "You look quite- Urgh!"

The brunette grabbed the cat and pulled him into her chest in a fuzzy hug (Carla caught the platter as Panther Lily, unprofessionally, launched it into the air). "You're so adorable," Nicole said with a sigh.

"Thanks," Panther Lily wheezed.

Nicole let him go, and the exceed brushed himself off. "So," she remarked, "are you three serving food?"

Carla nodded, rolling her pretty eyes and flexing her wings. "We're supposed to float around the balconies and serve food to people who, apparently, are too lazy to get it themselves." She huffed.

Happy grinned, "Aye sir! We have to fly up to those pretty spinning disk thingies."

"Spinning disks?" Nicole turned around, the bottom of her dress swishing at her feet. Happy was right; about half a dozen large circular platforms were floating around the ballroom, each carrying a party of two, who were dancing with each other. Nicole watched, mesmerized. It did look really pretty. Her stomach curdled; she was already thinking about her motion sickness.

"So you came straight for the food, eh?" Panther Lily chuckled, holding out a tray.

"You know me so well," Nicole giggled, snatching a small cracker thing from the platter.

Happy frowned. "I don't see why you eat so much, you're already pretty big."

_"What was that, cat?!"_

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Happy squealed, flying away and attracting plenty of unwanted attention, "Nikki's meeeeeeeeeeeeeean!"

"I..." Nicole shook her head in disdain. "Anyways, have fun, you two."

Panther Lily and Carla smiled at her, thanking her, as Nicole took some more food for herself and went off in search of Gajeel.

After hiding from Gray and Juvia, where the latter was trying to convince the former to dance, Nicole stumbled upon Gajeel, who was sipping punch from a tiny glass that looked too small to be in his hand. "Gajeel!" Nicole called, waving her hand at him. "Let's dance!"

"Dance?" Gajeel said, frowning. "Princess-"

"Come on!" she urged. "We look weird just standing around."

He rolled his eyes, setting his glass down on the table. "Gihihi. Fine, Princess."

The brother-sister-like pair started dancing, blending in with the other couples on the dance floor. "So, why'd you come to me and not Popsicle?" Gajeel mused, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"I wanted to dance with you, not Gray," Nicole denied, blushing.

"Gihi," Gajeel snickered. "I'm pretty sure that you do."

"Fine!" the brunette huffed, trying to avoid stepping on Gajeel's toes with her heels (although it was really tempting!). "I do. But he's busy with Juvia."

Gajeel must've seen her downcast expression because he laughed. "Princess, I thought you were smart." Nicole was about to object when the idiot cut her off, "Obviously, it's Juvia who's busy with Gray. As much as I love Rain Woman, Stripper's not as fond of her as he is with you."

"Really?"

Gajeel shrugged. "Sure."

Instantly, Nicole felt her heart lift. If stupid, oblivious Gajeel could realize that, then there was a chance it would be true. Without meaning to, Nicole turned around, trying to scout him out in the crowd, but to no luck.

Gajeel chuckled, "You go from hiding from him to searching for him. Gihihi."

"I'm not!"

"You are, Princess."

"No!"

"Can't fool me."

"Urgh!" The song ended and Nicole let go of Gajeel, flushed. "Thanks a lot, moron."

"Anytime, idiot," he replied, chuckling, as he caught Panther Lily's eye and took off through the crowd. Nicole rolled her eyes and turned around. Everyone was trading partners, or standing and chatting. The brunette spun around to where she thought she saw Gray before, but he had his back to her. He was slipping his suit jacket off, but Erza smacked him and he put it back on. Nicole giggled.

He turned _finally, _seeing her. His face lit up. Nicole started moving towards him, and he started moving towards her.

But all was interrupted when a tall, handsome man stepped in front of her. "Care to dance?"

This man had straight blond hair that was gelled on his head to the side. He had kind green eyes and a small smile that went well with his complexion. Paired with a black suit and emerald tie that brought out his eyes, he was definitely a very handsome man.

"S- Sure," she managed. He grinned and grabbed her waist gently.

Turns out he was a brilliant dancer too. He guided her around slowly, his smile persistent. Nicole caught sight of Gray, but he was spinning Wendy in a circle. "You look beautiful," he told her, smiling. Was that all he did?

"Thanks," Nicole said quickly, her cheeks reddening. "You look great too."

He chuckled, and his laugh was as beautiful as his smile. "Thank you."

"Are you here for the Princess?" she asked. The gorgeous Princess Jenivieve was standing on the balcony, waving politely to people. She had beautiful raven black hair that was pulled into an elaborate bun on her head and a scarlet dress that emphasized her curves.

"You could say that," he admitted. "But I may as well enjoy myself until then."

"Fair enough," she agreed.

He raised his arm and she spun, giggling. Somehow, Nicole didn't stumble in her heels. "I must say, you look very familiar."

Nicole swallowed, trying not to trip and to stay on the rhythm of the song. "I don't know, I'm not royalty or anything."

"No, I seem to remember you from the Grand Magic Games. Nicole Emereon of Fairy Tail, was it?"

She flushed, looking down at her chest. Ilya's make up had done a good job of covering up the mark, but she supposed they should've realized they'd be recognized by fans. "Yeah, that's me." Not point denying it.

Smile-Man laughed; music to her ears. "The games were fantastic. What's a Fairy Tail mage like you doing here, for a ball?"

_Can't ruin the mission. _She cocked her head to one side, smirking. "What, we can't go out and enjoy ourselves for once?"

"True," he said, spinning her again. They were making their way to one of those circle platforms that spun in the air. He offered his hand out to her in an invitation to step on, but just looking at the circle triggered Nicole's motion sickness. "I better not," she laughed. "I don't do well with motion."

"They're enchanted," the blond man informed, holding out his hand insistently. "For everyone's enjoyment. Look up there."

Nicole followed his finger. Indeed, Lucy was leading Natsu around, and the pink-haired boy was grinning ear to ear. Even on one of the platforms that should've easily triggered his motion sickness.

"I'm sold," she decided, accepting his hand. Why not? She was having fun.

As soon as they stepped up on the platform, it lifted off. The song was close to finishing, but Nicole and the blond man kept dancing. "I haven't asked you yet," she said, "but what's your name?"

"How rude of me. It's Torin."

"Torin," she mused, smiling. "That's a nice name."

"Thank you, Miss Emereon."

"Oh, just call me Nicole. Please."

"If you insist," he said with a laugh. She grinned back.

But when the music stopped, everything went wrong.

There was a scream. Princess Jenivieve was being held by an old man clad in a grey suit and black tie with slicked-back brown hair. He had a long silver knife in one hand and the Princess in the other. Two others holding guns flanked him on either side, while a third had the King held at gun point. The tired king finally looked more awake.

The worst part was, they had people positioned at the doors. Worse than that? Nicole hadn't even heard them.

She cursed. "Damn it, I have to-"

That was when she felt the coldness of a blade pressed to her neck. "You don't have to do anything," Torin mused, his green eyes suddenly so much less friendly and filled with cruelty. "Nicole."

"What..." She clenched her fists. "Fuck you."

He laughed. "You don't want to do that."

The brunette ignored him and craned her eyes to study the floor. Not to her surprise, Erza and Gray had already taken out the guards on either side of the Princess, but the threatened Princess stopped them in their tracks. Wendy was gently trying to usher the guests out of the way of danger. Gajeel had speared one of the men into the wall. Natsu was currently fighting his way through a throng of men in black suits, and Lucy had summoned both Aries and Virgo. The guards in front of the doorway to the rest of the palace had been defeated, and guests were rushing out.

"What the hell is this?" Nicole growled.

"A kidnapping," he mused, "for ransom. Supposedly what you've been hired for. Now shut up."

She tilted her head towards him, trying out her eye twitching thing. But Torin just laughed and pulled on a pair of glasses. "We've been expecting you. Don't even bother trying that." Nicole looked down and saw most of the guards had goggles or glasses on. She cursed again.

"We," the man holding the princess roared, shaking the knife, "are from the guild Blood Bone! And we will be taking the Princess for ransom. Unless you want your beloved Princess to bleed, you'll follow our requests- urgh!"

Erza slammed the side of her sword into his head, and he crumpled. That was quick.

The couple dozen men roared in fury and started attacking again. Natsu made quick work of them. Gajeel and Gray were, surprisingly, fighting back to back. Erza was taking the petrified Princess to safety.

Torin lowered his knife, and Nicole immediately sent her fist sailing to his face.

The blond man ducked, and she kicked, her legs free of restraint thanks to the dress. He blocked it and jumped away, to another circle. He cracked his knuckles, shedding his suit jacket, and did the most surprising thing of the night.

He inhaled sharply, then called, "Ice Dragon's Roar!"

At the last second, Nicole recovered from her shock, and inhaled the blast, coughing. "What the hell?" she cried out. "That's my magic!"

"The fuck?" she heard Gajeel say.

Torin cackled. "You may be trained by the Ice Dragon-" Nicole coughed awkwardly- "but I have the Ice Dragon lacrima! I've been hoping to fight you for a long time, Emereon! Ice Dragon's Icy Fist!" He lunged at her, his fist crackling.

Unfortunately for him, Nicole knew all her moves by heart. She knew all her strengths and all her weaknesses. She leaped up, landing on a different platform. The battle in the air was heating up.

And for some reason, Nicole was completely shaken up. Someone using her magic?

"Bring it on!" she cried out with a laugh.

His face crinkled in confusion at her laugh.

_Oh, this will be fun._

* * *

**Happy 16th birthday to me! Have a great day, everybody!~**


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